How Dielectrics Boost Capacitor Storage

A dielectric can help a parallel plate capacitor store more charge. In a basic capacitor, two conducting plates are separated by a set distance. Keeping the plates parallel can be mechanically difficult, especially when the plates are large and cannot touch each other.

A dielectric is a non-condu...

Parallel plate capacitors consist of two conducting plates separated by a small distance. However, it is mechanically difficult to hold the plates closer without any contact. This can be resolved by placing a non-conducting medium sandwiched between the capacitor plates.

Most commonly, capacitors are made of long strips of metal foils sep...