Capacitors

Capacitors, when used with an AC signal, impede, or resist the flow of electrons, thus lowering voltage and current, or as filters so only a certain AC wave is accepted.

For DC they act like a battery, with the more Farads equaling a longer charge

It's a passive element. The exact opposite of an inductor, allowing AC to pass while blocking DC unlike the inductor which allows DC to flow freely but restrains AC. The first thing you gotta know is their way of operation. Imagine it yhis way. Two plates isolated by a non conductive material like electrolyte or air or paper or ceramic etc. On these plates negative and positive charges build up trying to neutralise eavh other but can't do it due to the insulator. When AC is applied it constantly changes polarity which allows the charges to change direction thus allowing it to pasd while DC is being halted because it's polarity does not change. A capacitor holds the charge for some time and releases it in a burst of energy unlike a battery which releases the charge slowly over time. It's capacitance is measured in Farads and is directional to the size of the plates their distance from each other and their cut. It finds purpose in separating AC from DC or like a tank circuit to smoother the ripples of AC to DC conversion. It also finds use in High frequency applications like RF oscillator bandpass filters and such.

Well, way to expand lol

I recommend checking out the Examples tab it has a lot of good basic info or an app called "Lessons in Electronics" which is also on the web as www.allaboutcircuits.com

http://www.talkingelectronics.com/projects/Capacitor%20-%20How%20A%20Capacitor%20Works/How%20A%20Capacitor%20Works.html

Like having a 1.5 batt. Like in a flash light

Thanks guys. Helps a lot!