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capacitance

[kuh-pas-i-tuh ns]
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noun Electricity.
  1. the ratio of an impressed charge on a conductor to the corresponding change in potential.
  2. the ratio of the charge on either conductor of a capacitor to the potential difference between the conductors.
  3. the property of being able to collect a charge of electricity. Symbol: C
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Origin of capacitance

First recorded in 1905–10; capacit(y) + -ance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for capacitance

Historical Examples

  • The capacitance of a condenser or a circuit depends on its size and form and the voltage of the current that is charging it.

    The Radio Amateur's Hand Book

    A. Frederick Collins

  • The variable condenser used in series with the aerial wire system has 26 plates and is equal to a capacitance of .0008 mfd.

    The Radio Amateur's Hand Book

    A. Frederick Collins

  • The condenser used in the secondary coil circuit has 14 plates and this is equal to a capacitance of .0004 mfd.

    The Radio Amateur's Hand Book

    A. Frederick Collins

  • In honeycomb and other stagger wound coils the capacitance is more evenly distributed.

    The Radio Amateur's Hand Book

    A. Frederick Collins

  • As the blades of the tuning forks vibrate, the capacitance is alternately increased and decreased by the required amount.

    LRL Accelerators

    Lawrence Radiation Laboratory

British Dictionary definitions for capacitance

capacitance

noun
  1. the property of a system that enables it to store electric charge
  2. a measure of this, equal to the charge that must be added to such a system to raise its electrical potential by one unit
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Symbol: CFormer name: capacity
Derived Formscapacitive, adjectivecapacitively, adverb

Word Origin

C20: from capacit (y) + -ance
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for capacitance

n.

1893, from capacity + -ance.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
capacitance in Science

capacitance

[kə-păs′ĭ-təns]
  1. A measure of the ability of a configuration of materials to store electric charge. In a capacitor, capacitance depends on the size of the plates, the type of insulator, and the amount of space between the plates. Most electrical components display capacitance to some degree; even the spaces between components of a circuit have a natural capacitance. Capacitance is measured in farads. Compare inductance.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.