Does an electric capacitor store electric charge?

Answer 1

Capacitors store energy in the electric field between their plates. They do not store charge, the net value of which is the same after, as before, charging (they do, however, separate charge).

Answer 2

A capacitor stores charge. Charge is measured in coulombs.

Voltage is energy per charge, or joules per coulomb. The amount of energy available in a capacitor is related to its capacitance, measured in farads. The differential equation that describes the function of a capacitor is ...

dv/dt = i/c

... that is, volts per second is amperes divided by capacitance.

Electricity is many things; charge, voltage, current, etc. It all depends on usage.

ANOTHER ANSWER

Capacitors do not store charge; they store energy.

The net charge on the plates of a capacitor is exactly the same after, as before, 'charging'. The confusion results from our traditional use of the terms, 'charging' and 'discharging', when we should be using the terms, 'energising' and 'de-energising'!

On the other hand, you could argue that capacitors store 'separated charge', which is true because, while there is no net change in the overall charge on the plates, a 'charged' capacitor has an imbalance of charges -i.e. electrons from one plate are transferred over to the other plate. But to say they 'store charge' implies that they take charge from the supply, and store it on its plates, which is completely untrue.

So, capacitors store energy, expressed in joules, NOT charge, expressed in coulombs!

Answer 3

Yes .. that is the function of the capacitor .. to store an electrical charge .. but unlike a battery it releases it all at once .. be careful handling a capacitor that might not have been discharged , it could shock you.

Answer

No. A capacitor simply allows the transfer of negative charge from one plate across to its other plate, resulting in the establishment of an electric field between the two plates. There is no net change whatsoever in the amount of charge on the capacitor. So a capacitor does not store charge! What is stored is energy.

Answer 4

More of what ?

-- A capacitor can't be charged to a higher voltage than that of the device that charges it.

-- A capacitor can't store more energy than is supplied by the device that charges it.

-- Timewise ... a capacitor can deliver its charge and energy faster, slower, or at the

same rate, taking less time, more time, or the same time, as it was charged.

(Think the strobe on a camera.)

-- A capacitor can deliver more, less, or the same current as was used to charge it.

Answer 5

Yes, an electric capacitor stores electric charge by accumulating positive and negative charges on its plates when connected to a power source. The stored charge can be then released when the capacitor is disconnected from the power source.

Answer 6

Yes, for a while...it can bleed off