Conductors and Capacitors
Resistance is a concept that measures a material’s ability to resist electric current, measured in ohms. Resistance is based off the material’s molecular geometry and chemical properties. Conductors are materials that allow electric current to flow through them with low resistance. Insulators do not let much current if any to flow through them.
In a conductor, there are many free valence electrons which are able to move easily in response to an interaction with an electric field, creating the flow of electric charge. Copper, aluminum, and gold are metals that conduct easily. Graphite is a nonmetallic material that conducts, and all plasmas conduct electricity very well.
Along with resistance, electrical conductivity measures the ability of a substance to conduct electricity. Electrical conductivity relies on a few factors such as atomic structure, temperature, and impurities in the material.
Conductors are essential in electrical devices, such as wires, cables, and circuit boards.
A capacitor is an electric component in an electric field that stores electric energy. It is created with two conducting plates, usually metal, with an insulating material known as a dilelectric between them. When a voltage is ran through the terminal (something putting charge into the plates, such as a wire) into the plates, charge is accumulated in the metal and an electric field is created between the plates. The strength of the electric field depends on the applied voltage and the capacitance of the capacitor, which is a measure of its ability to store charge.
Capacitors are used in a variety of different devices for different uses. They can be used to store electrical energy, but only for a limited time as the energy eventually dissipates into its surroundings. They can be used to get rid of voltage variations, creating a smoother flow of charge. They can also filter out frequencies of electric signals, as well as time circuits to turn on or off.
The dielectric is an insulator placed between the plates of a capacitor to increase its capacitance. While separating the conductive plates, the material allows an electric field to form between them. When a voltage is applied, the dielectric reduces the field strength, allowing more charge to be stored in the plates, creating more capacitance.
Dielectric materials can be used for many different devices. They can obviously be found in capacitors, but they can also be found insulating conductive materials, and reducing electrical interference.