Hey all, super basic question.

Batteries and capacitors seem very similar to me. Both are two conductive materials with a potential difference, separated by an insulator. But why does a capacitor completely discharge when shorted but a battery takes time?

Also, will a capacitor act as a battery if it's discharged into a circuit with a load on it?

 

Hey all, super basic question.

Batteries and capacitors seem very similar to me. Both are two conductive materials with a potential difference, separated by an insulator. But why does a capacitor completely discharge when shorted but a battery takes time?

Also, will a capacitor act as a battery if it's discharged into a circuit with a load on it?

Do a little reading about batteries and capacitors to discover their major differences.
http://machinedesign.com/batteriespower-supplies/what-s-difference-between-batteries-and-capacitors

More technical:
http://physics.bu.edu/~duffy/py106/Capacitors.html

 

Thanks! This gave me a better understanding.

"However, when a battery is discharging it can be slower than a capacitor ability to discharge because there is a latency associated with the chemical reaction to transfer the chemical energy into electrical energy. A capacitor is storing the electrical energy directly on the plates so discharging rate for capacitors are directly related to the conduction capabilities of the capacitors plates."

 

A capacitor will have a constant decrease of voltage while discharging, whereas a battery can maintain a level voltage throughout most of its discharge.

 

Hey all, super basic question.

Batteries and capacitors seem very similar to me. Both are two conductive materials with a potential difference, separated by an insulator. But why does a capacitor completely discharge when shorted but a battery takes time?

Also, will a capacitor act as a battery if it's discharged into a circuit with a load on it?

Because a battery is NOT a capacitor.

http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/blog/a-battery-isnt-a-capacitor.588/