Capacitors

Capacitors are components that store and release electric charge, consisting of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material called a dielectric. Their ability to store charge is called capacitance, measured in farads (F). Capacitors block direct current (DC) because electrons cannot pass through the dielectric, but they allow alternating current (AC) to flow by continuously charging and discharging. This makes capacitors useful for AC coupling—passing AC signals while blocking DC.