Capacitor

An electrical component made of two conductors separated by an insulator, or dielectric. A capacitor can store an electrical charge in an electrostatic field. The capacitance of a capacitor is measured in farads, microfarads (10-6 farad), or picofarads (10-12 farad). The capacitance of a capacitor is determined by three things: the area of the plates, the amount of separation between the plates, and the kind of insulating material, or dielectric, between the plates. Capacitors were at one time called condensers.