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Alt ho u gh electrical current can only flow through an intact circuit, if a circuit is broken or opened up a small electrical field will exist between the two ends. By altering the opened circuit to expand the area of near-contact between the ends, a structure for holding electrical charges, known as a capacitor, can be built. Applying a fixed voltage across two metal plates that are held close together but are not in direct contact and have wires extending to attach them to a circuit, causes electrons to move between positive and negative plates. If the battery providing the voltage is disconnected, the electric charge remains between the two plates. The amount of charge that can be held depends on the area of the two plates and the distance between them. One of the capacitor’s key properties is its ability to resist changes in voltage, which allows it to be useful in a wide range of voltage storage and current control applications.
Capacitors stored electric charges. electric charges with wavelength continues to accumulate on the plates.
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