PHYS 102 Chapter 24: Sears & Zemansky's University Physics with Modern Physics 14th Edition: Chapter 24

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A capacitor is a device that stores electric potential energy and electric charge. To make a capacitor, just insulate two conductors from each other. In order to store energy in this device, charge must be transferred from one conductor to the other so that one has a negative charge and the other has an equal amount of positive charge. Work done to move the charges through the resulting potential difference between the conductors is stored as electric potential energy. The ratio of the charge on each conductor to the potential difference between the conductors is the capacitance. Capacitance depends on the size and shape of the conductor and on the insulating material between them. Capacitance increases when an insulating material, such as a dielectric, is present. This is because of the redistribution of charge called polarization. Electric potential energy can be regarded as being stored in the field itself. Any two conductors separated by an insulator form a capacitor.

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