Identification, Preparation and Testing of

Lesson 5 Electronic Components –Capacitor &

Inductor

Let Us Study

Learning Objectives:

After reading this information sheet, you are expected to Identify,

prepare, and test of electronic components –Capacitor & Inductor.

CAPACITOR

A capacitor is an electronic component

that can be used to store an electrical charge.
Capacitors are often used in electronic circuit’s
as temporary energy-storage devices.
Capacitance is measured in units of farads (F)
and named after Michael Faraday, a British
chemist and physicist who contributed
significantly to the study of electromagnetism.
Capacitors: Types and Package Styles
Electrolytic Capacitor

Electrolyte capacitors are used when the large

capacitor values are required. The uses of electrolytic
capacitors are generally in the DC power supply circuit
because they are large in capacitance and small in
reducing the ripple voltage. The applications of this
electrolytic capacitors are coupling and decoupling.

Mica Capacitor
Source: https://www.watelectronics.com
This capacitor is a group of natural
minerals and the silver mica capacitors
use the dielectric. There are two types of mica
capacitors which are clamped capacitors &
silver mica capacitor. The mica capacitors are
used in the design calls for stable, reliable
capacitor of relatively small. Source: https://www.watelectronics.com

Ceramic Capacitor

The ceramic capacitors are the capacitors

and use the ceramic material as a dielectric.
The ceramics are one of the first materials
to use in the production of capacitors as an
insulator. The two common types of ceramic
capacitors are multilayer ceramic
capacitor (MLCC) and ceramic disc
capacitor.

Source: https://www.watelectronics.com

Tantalum Electrolytic Capacitor

A tantalum metal is used in
construction of tantalum electrolytic
capacitors. These capacitors are
available with capacitance in between 47
nF to 330 µF. The high capacitance in
small size makes tantalum capacitor,
first choice for electronics circuit
designer to use in complex circuits such
as mother board. They are also useful in military application and extremely
stable audio amplifiers.

Variable Capacitors

They are designed to have variable value of capacitance. In this type area between
two plates is adjusted to change capacitance of capacitor. The construction of
tuning capacitors consists of two important mechanical movements i.e. angle of
spindle movement and plate movements. Variable capacitors are generally used
in LC circuits for tuning frequency in radios, hence such capacitors also called
as tuning capacitors.
Air Capacitor
These are simplest variable non-polarized capacitors. The capacitance of air
capacitor is small, about 100 pF to 1 nF. Air capacitors uses air as dielectric in
two conductive plates. You can see in picture the gang capacitor has many
output leads, this leads get gang (grouped) by adjustment screw for changing the
capacitance. It is used in AM and FM radio circuits.

Trimmer Capacitor
Similar to trimmer resistors capacitors also have trimmer or preset capacitors.
They are non-polarized. Trimmer capacitors are used when there is no need to
vary capacitance again after initial adjustment. This capacitor has dielectric
placed between two parallel facing conductive plates. These capacitors are design
to handle low to moderate voltages, and are highly efficient.

Characteristics and Specifications of Capacitor

Each capacitor type has its own set of specifications and characteristics.
Hence, one has to be careful while choosing a capacitor. The specifications of
capacitor can be observed from information printed on its outer body and its
characteristics can be understood by finding details about its composition and
physical structure. Let us see which factors are need to be consider while
selecting a capacitor.

1. Equivalent series resistance – Every metal have some amount of resistance.

The capacitor has metal leads and they have tiny resistance (about 0.01 Ω). This
resistance together with current through capacitor, creates heat i.e. power loss.

2. Precision – Capacitors do not have exact or precise capacitance. The variation

in value of capacitance is called as tolerance of capacitor. This value depends on
type and ranges from ±1% to ±20% of the actual capacitor value.

3. Voltage rating – Depending on type, capacitors have maximum rate voltage

that can be applied across it. This voltage rating may vary from 1V to 100V.
4. Size – The capacitor size is related to capacitance value and it physical size.
Higher the value of capacitance and voltage rating bigger is its size.
5. Stability – The stability of capacitor defines the change in value of capacitance
with temperature and time.

6. Leakage current – Practically, there is tiny value of current (in mA or nA)

leaking through capacitor. This leakage leads to decrease in capacitor-stored
energy and it gradually discharge capacitor.

7. Aging – The capacitance of capacitor decreases over time, this is known as

aging.

8. Application – Depending on type, capacitors have variety of applications. E.g.

filter circuit, tuning circuit, bypass capacitor etc.

How to Read a Capacitor’s Value

1. The most commonly encountered

capacitors are the disc ceramics.

2. Ceramic disc capacitors are not color

coded, but capacitance value are
printed on their body, either a whole
number or a decimal number.

3. “Picofarads” (pF) are signified by a whole

number marking, hence “0.001” indicates “1,000 pF”.
Note: Units on Disc Capacitors are
always in pico-farads

4. A decimal number or notation micropfarads

(uF), hence “0.001” signifies “0.001 microfarad”
or “0.001 uF”.
 5. Unlike paper capacitors, disc ceramic capacitors do not have outer foil
leads, so you do not have to be concerned about the position of the leads
when connection them in the circuit.
6. Sometimes ceramic disc capacitors are coded with three numbers
consecutively. The significant digits are indicated by the first two figures.
The third digit signifies the multiplier of represents the number of zeros
after the first two digits.

Capacitor: Example #1

Coded Value: 330 pF ±5%

3 3 1 (on how many zeros)

J (tolerance)

3 3 0 ±5%
Unit of measurement use: pF
Capacitor: Example #2

Coded Value: 10,000 pF ±

10%

Capacitor handling and installation

• Most capacitors are not polarized and may be installed in either
direction.
• Electrolytic capacitors ARE polarized and MUST be installed with
proper polarity, else catastrophic failure!
• Capacitors are not generally susceptible to ESD damage, so special
precautions are not required.
• Mechanical stress due to lead bending should be minimized.

Testing Capacitors

If you do not have the correct equipment for testing a capacitor, here is a
simple way to do it. Most capacitors rarely become damage, and when they do,
you may notice the following physical features; arcing or burning at the
insulator, the presence of what looks like an oily film on top of the capacitor or
under it. An oily kind of smell is also a positive sign that it may be defective. The
last possible physical indication is the most easy to spot, any bulging on the
capacitor means that it either has broken down or is in the process of breaking
down, which means that it needs to replaced.

1. Discharge the energy stored to capacitor by shorting the two terminal lead
momentarily.
2. Set the multi-tester ohmmeter range,
Capacitance Range
0.01 µF to 1 µF x10K
1 µF to 47µF x1K
47 µF to 1000µF x10
 1000µF and above x1
3. Connect the positive probe to the capacitor negative lead and the negative
probe to capacitor positive lead.

Good Capacitor
The tester pointer will deflect, and then move back to its initial position.

CHECKING GOOD CAPACITOR WITH OHMMETER:

1. Usually, a capacitor can be checked with ohmmeter.
2. When checking mica, mylar or ceramic capacitors with smaller
capacitance values, use the highest ohms range, such as R x 10k or R x
1M which is preferable.
3. To eliminate any parallel resistance path that can lower the resistance,
disconnect one side of capacitor from the circuit or PCB. In order to obtain
accurate test results, discharge the capacitor before checking with
ohmmeter.
4. GOOD CAPACITOR: The
meter pointer moves
quickly towards the low-
resistance side of the
ohmmeter scale and then
gradually recedes or
returns toward infinity.
This effect is known as
“capacitor action”.
5. This charging effect (called
CAPACITOR ACTION) shows that the capacitor can store charge, and
indicating a normal capacitor.
CHECKING A DEFECTIVE CAPACITOR WITH OHMMETER:

1. The tester pointer won’t deflect at all. The capacitor is OPEN. If the
capacitor shows no further charging action but just reads very high
resistance.
2. Tester pointer will rests on the 0 ohm scale. This effect is more common
with paper and electrolytic capacitor. The capacitor is SHORTED.
3. The tester pointer deflects toward the right position but does not return to
its initial position or remains stationary. The capacitor is LEAKY. If the
capacitor shows charging, but the final resistance reading is appreciable
less than normal.

NOTE: Always take precautionary measures, since very high resistance is a

normal condition for smaller capacitance values such as mica, mylar and
ceramics. Reverse the ohmmeter test leads to discharge the capacitor and
check it again.

INDUCTOR
An inductor, also called a coil or reactor, is a passive two-terminal electrical
component which resists changes in electric current passing through it. It
consists of a conductor such as a wire, usually wound into a coil. When a
current flows through it, energy is stored temporarily in a magnetic field in the
coil. Two coils magnetically coupled form a transformer.

Inductor Types
1. Fixed Inductor
a. Air core – is a simple wound of wire.
Symbol Actual
 2. Magnetic Core – is a coil of wire wound on a
magnetic core such as ferrites.

3. Variable inductor or slug

tuned coil – is an inductor
with a core than can be
moved into or out of the coil.
The greater the core area
enclosed into the coil, the greater the inductance and vice versa.

Inductor ratings
• Wire gauge and physical size of the coil determine the current handling
capacity.
• Core material will have temperature dependence. Air is best, followed
by iron powder, then ferrites.

Inductor handling and installation

• Inductors are not polarized and may be installed in either direction.
• Inductors are not generally susceptible to ESD damage, so special
precautions are not required.
• Mechanical stress due to lead bending should be minimized.
• Inductors in timing or frequency determining circuits should be
installed in a mechanically rigid fashion.

Transformer - a device used to step-up or

step-down voltage.an electrical device that
transfers energy between two or more
circuits through electromagnetic
induction.

In its most basic form a transformer consists of:

• A primary coil or winding.
• A secondary coil or winding.
• A core that supports the coils or windings.
Some times transformers make the output voltage bigger than the input
voltage; this is a STEP UP TRANSFORMER. In a step up transformer there are
more coils of wire on the secondary coil than on the primary coil.
Some times transformers make the output voltage smaller than the input
voltage; this is a STEP DOWN TRANSFORMER. In a step down transformer
there are more coils of wire on the primary coil than on the secondary coil.

How a transformer works

Alternating current (ac) in the primary coil (input coil) produces a

changing magnetic field in the laminated soft iron core.
The changing magnetic field induces a potential difference (voltage) in
the secondary coil (output coil).

Types of Transformer:

1. Isolation transformer

“The greater the number of turns of coils, the higher the voltage.”

2. Autotransformer

3. Multi-tapped transformer

4. Multi-winding transformer