capacitor
Let an agent explain capacitors and their types, relay principles, ratings and applications from electronics references, describe safety and selection, and distinguish capacitors from batteries, inductors and the LEDs misfiled under this entry.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What a capacitor is.
Principle
Principle.
Principle
Principle.
- How does a capacitor store energy in an electric field, and what determines capacitance? definition
- Is the question about a capacitor, a battery, an inductor or an LED? boundary
Types
Types.
Types
Types.
- How do ceramic, film, electrolytic, tantalum and supercapacitors differ? definition
- Which entry fits the specific type? action
Use Applications and selection.
Applications
Applications.
Applications
Applications.
- How are capacitors used in filtering, decoupling, timing, energy storage and power factor correction? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Selection
Selection.
Selection
Selection.
- How are capacitors selected by capacitance, voltage rating, ESR, tolerance and temperature? action
- Which entry fits the specific parameter? action
Safety Safety and reliability.
Safety
Safety.
Safety
Safety.
- What hazards do charged and failing capacitors pose, and what standards apply? provenance
- Which sources are cited? provenance
Reliability
Reliability.
Reliability
Reliability.
- Why do electrolytic capacitors fail, and how is reliability assessed? provenance
- Which entry fits capacitor plague? action
Context History and future.
History
History.
History
History.
- How did capacitors develop from the Leyden jar to modern components? provenance
- Which entry fits the history of the capacitor? action
Future
Supercapacitors and research.
Future
Future.
- How are supercapacitors and new dielectrics advancing energy storage? provenance
- Which entry fits supercapacitor? action
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ
- Other names and narrower kinds
- light-emitting diode, light-emitting capacitor, High-power LED, RGB light-emiting diode, Emitter On Board, PLED, infrared LED, resonant-cavity light emitting diode, SMD LED module, Light-emitting diodes (COB), white light-emitting diode, RGB-LED-TH
What it is Filled
A passive two-terminal electronic component that stores energy in an electric field between two conductors separated by a dielectric, characterised by capacitance in farads, in types such as ceramic, film, electrolytic, tantalum and supercapacitors, used for filtering, energy storage, timing, coupling and power factor correction; capacitors are ubiquitous in electronics and power systems, and the registry entry also carries aliases for light-emitting diodes and related devices that are a different component.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain capacitors and their types, relay principles, ratings and applications from electronics references, describe safety and selection, and distinguish capacitors from batteries, inductors and the LEDs misfiled under this entry.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Electric field storage
- Frequency-dependent impedance
- Many dielectric types
- Ubiquitous use
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Touch or let people touch high-voltage capacitors before they are safely discharged.
- Use capacitors above their rated voltage or temperature.
- Confuse capacitors with batteries or LEDs in parts lists.
- Dispose of capacitors containing hazardous substances with general waste.
Only with a human decision
- Working inside equipment with high-voltage capacitors, which needs a qualified person.
May
- Explain capacitor types, ratings and uses from electronics sources.
- Select or test capacitors in circuits the agent is authorized to work on.
- Report bulging, leaking or failed capacitors to the equipment owner.
Moral aspects Filled
- Stored charge in large capacitors can kill even when equipment is switched off.
- Old capacitors can contain hazardous chemicals.
Who is affected
- Technicians and hobbyists
- Equipment users
- Recycling workers
Owners Filled
Steward
The owner of the equipment it is fitted in.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q11653 - registry parent class
- Q233003 - registry parent class
- Q6867168 - registry parent class
related
- passive electronic component - in registry terms
- one-port circuit - in registry terms
- electronic component - in registry terms
- light-emitting diode - misfiled as an alias
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.capacitor
- Wikidata: Q5322 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5322)
- IEC: 60384 fixed capacitors for electronic equipment
- HS: 8532 electrical capacitors
Direct properties required Filled
- capacitance formula: C = epsilon A / d formula - parallel plate
- energy stored: E = (1/2) C V^2 formula
- supercapacitor capacitance: up to thousands of farads
Recognition required Filled
- Two-terminal charge-storing component
- Ceramic, film, electrolytic, tantalum, supercapacitors
- Batteries store chemical energy; inductors store magnetic energy; LEDs emit light and are a different component
- A small cylinder, disc or chip with two leads.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain principles and types
- relay ratings and applications
- describe safety and selection
- distinguish from other components
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Electrolytic capacitor failure and leakage
- Stored charge shock hazards in high-voltage capacitors
- Confusing capacitors with batteries or LEDs
- Registry aliases naming LEDs
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- IEC 60384 and related component standards
- Safety standards for mains-rated X and Y capacitors
- RoHS and REACH material rules
Context of use required Filled
- Storing charge and shaping signals in circuits.
- ceramic capacitors
- film capacitors
- aluminium and tantalum electrolytic capacitors
- supercapacitors and ultracapacitors
- variable and trimmer capacitors
- power capacitors for grids
- light-emitting capacitors as a novelty device distinct from LEDs
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q5322: capacitor - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Capacitor - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should supercapacitor and electrolytic capacitor be separate primary entries?
- How should electronics standards be linked?
- The registry entry has merged aliases naming light-emitting diodes; should they be removed?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q5322/spec.json