Capacitors & Transistors

What is a capacitor?

A capacitor is a passive electrical component. It has two connections. But what exactly does a capacitor do? A capacitor can store electrostatic energy in an electric field. This sounds quite complicated, but you can best compare it to a small battery. However, capacitors can be charged and discharged in a fraction of a second. Capacitors come in all shapes and sizes. The capacitance of a capacitor is measured in farads. The voltage of the capacitor is in volts.

What is a Transistor?

Transistors are semiconductor components with usually three terminals. In electronic circuits they are often used as amplifying or switching element. A transistor can be compared to a relay. They can switch something on or off. However, there are no moving parts in a transistor. As said before, a transistor usually has three connections. These connections are: The emitter, the collector and the base.

What is a triangle?

A triac is an electronic alternating voltage switch. It is an electronic component belonging to the semiconductor switch category. A triac has three connections, namely: electrode 1, electrode 2 and one gate. There is no fixed polarity as with a thyristor. The operation of a Triac is very similar to that of a thyristor. By using a triac you can make a mains voltage regulation for various loads.