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

Etymology

Origin of capacitance

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

capacitance

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

From Science Daily ● Mar. 26, 2026

This allowed them to measure two characteristics; internal resistance, which measures how much electrical current is impeded while trying to move through a battery, and capacitance, which is the ability to store electrical energy.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 6, 2024

The researchers analyzed thermodynamic parameters of the system such as binding energies, changes in capacitance, and molecular conformations and found that they played critical roles in optimizing the sensor's performance.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 5, 2024

We define their capacitance C to be such that the charge Q stored in a capacitor is proportional to C .

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015

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

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