capacitance

American  

[kuh-pas-i-tuhns] / kəˈpæs ɪ təns /

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. C

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capacitance British  

/ kəˈpæsɪtəns /

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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capacitance Scientific  

/ 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.

2. Compare inductance

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Other Word Forms

• capacitive
  adjective
• capacitively
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of capacitance

First recorded in 1905–10; capacit(y) + -ance

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capacitance

This not only creates more room for components but also shortens wiring distances, reducing parasitic capacitance and significantly increasing communication bandwidth between different parts of a chip.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

This creates a small change in capacitance, just enough for the device to detect a touch.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026

But in devices employing bilayer graphene, the presence of significant stray capacitance in the measurement circuit leads to rf leakage and less-than-optimal resonator properties.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2023

This small value for the capacitance indicates how difficult it is to make a device with a large capacitance.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

A fixed condenser of the exact capacitance required for connecting across the head phones is mounted in a base fitted with binding posts, as shown at B, and costs 75 cents.

From The Radio Amateur's Hand Book by A. Frederick (Archie Frederick) Collins

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