Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
The energy stored in a capacitor refers to the amount of electrical energy that can be stored in the electric field between its plates. It is determined by the capacitance and voltage across the capacitor.
Voltage, also known as potential difference, represents the electric potential energy per unit charge. It determines how much energy can be stored in a capacitor.
Electric Field (E): The electric field is created by charged particles and determines how they interact with each other. In the case of capacitors, it plays a role in storing and releasing electrical energy.
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