The same rules outlined before for elements in series and parallel hold. Here is an example of capacitors in parallel. Energy Suppose a capacitor of C farads presently contains a charge of q coulombs. This is the energy stored in the capacitor. It can be recovered if the capacitor is discharged into a resistor, for instance.
Capacitors have a maximum voltage rating , much like resistors have a maximum power rating.
A capacitor can be charged up to only a certain voltage before the insulating material between the two plates begins to break down - the maximum voltage rating of the capacitor is usually noted on the capacitor itself. Recognizing a capacitor Below are pictures of some capacitors. Capacitors are typically labelled with text which indicates their capacitance, and a voltage rating. However, the text is often not clearly marked and can be quite cryptic, as in the examples below. More pictures of capacitors here .