Capacitors
This electrical component stores energy in an electrostatic field between two conductive plates separated by an insulating material.
What is a capacitor?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-49
This is the ability of a capacitor to store an electrical charge.
What is capacitance?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-51
This term describes the opposition a capacitor offers to alternating current.
What is capacitive reactance?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-13
This electrical component stores energy in a magnetic field when current flows through it.
What is an inductor?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-56
This is the ability of a conductor to induce a voltage in itself when current changes.
What is inductance?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-58
This term describes the opposition an inductor offers to alternating current.
What is inductive reactance?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-11
This material between capacitor plates determines voltage rating and helps prevent current flow.
What is the dielectric?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-49
This unit of measurement is used to express capacitance.
What is the farad?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-51
As frequency increases, capacitive reactance does this.
What is decreases?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-14
This basic construction element of an inductor is typically made of coiled wire.
What is a coil?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-56
This unit is used to measure inductance.
What is the henry?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-58
As frequency increases, inductive reactance does this.
What is increases?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-12
In a DC circuit, after a capacitor becomes fully charged, this happens to current flow.
What is current stops flowing?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-50
Increasing this physical characteristic of capacitor plates increases capacitance.
What is plate area?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-52
As capacitance increases, capacitive reactance does this.
What is decreases?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-14
This material is often placed inside an inductor coil to increase magnetic field strength.
What is an iron core (ferromagnetic core)?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-57
Increasing the number of turns in a coil has this effect on inductance.
What is increases inductance?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-59
As inductance increases, inductive reactance does this.
What is increases?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-12
This occurs when excessive voltage causes the dielectric in a capacitor to fail and current flows through the plates.
What is dielectric breakdown?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-50
Decreasing this distance between capacitor plates results in increased capacitance.
What is distance between plates?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-52
This unit is used to measure capacitive reactance.
What is ohms?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-13
This effect occurs when a changing magnetic field induces a voltage that opposes the change in current.
What is self-induction?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-57
Increasing magnetic permeability of the core has this effect on inductance.
What is increases inductance?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-59
This unit is used to measure inductive reactance.
What is ohms?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-11
This capacitor characteristic defines the maximum voltage that can be safely applied without damage.
What is working voltage (voltage rating)?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-50
This property of the dielectric material affects the capacitance of a capacitor.
What is dielectric constant?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-52
Capacitive reactance is inversely proportional to both capacitance and this electrical property.
What is frequency?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-31B p. 9-13
This law explains why induced voltage opposes the change in current that created it.
What is Lenz’s Law?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-57
This relationship exists between rate of current change and induced voltage in an inductor.
What is induced voltage is proportional to rate of current change?
Reference: FAA-H-8083-30B p. 12-58
This formula is used to calculate inductive reactance in an AC circuit.
What is inductive reactance formula?
XL=2πfL