capacitors - please help me to understand them better

Thread Starter

Soogs

Joined Jun 7, 2016
8
Hi All,

done a quick search but couldnt find the answer/s im looking for (here or on the wider web)

lets say we have an input supply of 12v which i will step down to lets say 5v.
please assume i know nothing about how any of these components work.

if i were to use lets say a 35v xxx capacity. is the output voltage from the capacitor the desired 5v or 35v?
or would the capacitor be placed before the regulator and there for output 12v?

i hope this makes sense.

Many thanks in advance,

Soogs
 

merts

Joined Apr 1, 2016
8
I assume you're referring to DC volts.The output voltage would be the same as the input.
However if it's at the output of a rectifier the output increases by Root 2.(1.414).
5v would be approximately 6.1v
 

djsfantasi

Joined Apr 11, 2010
9,156
The figure of 35v is the rating of the capacitor. That is, it can be used in a circuit up to 35v.

As merts said, whatever voltage is across its leads will be the voltage output. Also noted that the voltage source may affect the actual voltage being input. A rectified AC DC source may have an average voltage of 5v, but it peak voltage is higher.
 

Thread Starter

Soogs

Joined Jun 7, 2016
8
thank you very much for both your replys.

my question has been answered and even learnt an extra :)

I can already tell im going to love this place.

Cheers

Soogs
 

Thread Starter

Soogs

Joined Jun 7, 2016
8
Sorry to post twice, couldnt find the edit option for my last post.

I meant DC in my orginal post but Merts made me question the AC side of things.

could someone please expand on this?

assuming v in is AC in these 2 situations:
ac before capacitor is lower than rated capacitor
and
ac is equal to rated capacitor.

hope that made sense.

Cheers

Soogs
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,839
no i have not.
i dont trust it much and also there is so much information that I get information overload and miss the answer or dont realise i have found it.
I don't know why so many distrust Wikipedia. I understand that it can be modified by anyone, but in all of the years I've referenced Wikipedia articles, I haven't found anything that looked like intentional misinformation.

If you don't understand what you're reading, that probably means you're not ready to absorb the information and need to find more basic information and comprehend that first.
if you think those articles are correct then i will read them.
I did a cursory scan and didn't see anything blatantly wrong. If you don't trust what you read, find a source you think you can trust (like text books).
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
The voltage rating of the capacitor, which is often printed on the capacitor, has no bearing on the voltage developed on the pins of the capacitor. That is determined by the circuit which contains the capacitor. If the voltage rating is exceeded, there is a risk of permanent damage to the capacitor, leading to failure.

I'm not sure what more you are asking. Perhaps you could post an example circuit you are trying to understand?
 

BillB3857

Joined Feb 28, 2009
2,570
A capacitor is like a water pressure tank. The voltage rating on a cap can compare to the pressure rating of a tank. The number of microfarads of a cap can compare to the volume of the tank. It all boils down to how much (energy/liquid) can it hold at what (voltage/pressure).
 

dl324

Joined Mar 30, 2015
16,839
I meant DC in my orginal post but Merts made me question the AC side of things.

could someone please expand on this?
Some capacitors are polarized and some aren't. If you apply AC to a polarized capacitor, bad things can happen.

It would be helpful for us (and you) if you asked more specific questions and provided more details. If you're at the "don't know enough to ask intelligent questions" stage, come back when you are.
 

Thread Starter

Soogs

Joined Jun 7, 2016
8
thanks again for the replies.

at this stage im just gathering some missing information.

i have some ideas in my head but im not at a stage where i can draw diagrams that will make sense to you intelligent/educated people.

i guess my first project is to convert a PC PSU into a bench supply (hopefully a variable volt unit). (or a 24v psu and use various components to achieve a varied stable output)

i dont have much time on my hands to self eduacate. i have spent the spare time i have over the last 2 weeks trying to learn basic componenets and how they work and where to use them.

capacitors simply did not filter well into my brain. the posts in this thread have been very helpful but it seems im still in well over my head when it comes to this.

(edit: i will read the wiki pages when i have some more time and feeling a little fresher)

thanks again.

Soogs
 

prof328

Joined Apr 15, 2016
10
A word of caution if you are using a capacitor with a voltage rating it should be at least twice the voltage it is likely to see in your circuit.
If it is a five volt circuit the capacitor should be rated for at least 10 volts, it wont matter if it's rated higher say sixteen volts.
 

WBahn

Joined Mar 31, 2012
29,976
no i have not.
i dont trust it much and also there is so much information that I get information overload and miss the answer or dont realise i have found it.

if you think those articles are correct then i will read them.

cheers

Soogs
For technical information, Wikipedia is a quite good and reliable source of information. Some university actually looked at the quality of information on Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica and found that, for technical and objective content, Wikipedia was far more accurate and up to date. Now, for subjective and controversial topics, Wikipedia can (not necessarily will) be a cesspool.
 

bertus

Joined Apr 5, 2008
22,270
Hello,

You could also take a look at the links given on this page of the EDUCYPEDIA:
Capacitors

There you will find mainly links to universities and manufacturers.

Bertus
 
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