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Electrolytic capacitor

UrbanFox · 2007-04-27 19:38:45

Is it correct that an electrolytic capacitor can only be used in a D.C. circuit ? :confused:

27-04-2007 07:38PM

#1

UrbanFox

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Is it correct that an electrolytic capacitor can only be used in a D.C. circuit ?

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Comments

#2 27-04-2007 07:41PM

Thomas_S_Hunterson

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Ithink so yea, they're generally polarised and have a big black stripe on the side of the cathode with likkle "-" marks

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#3 27-04-2007 09:32PM

Michael Collins

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Well more or less yes. They can be used in AC circuits provided the terminal with the - signs, as Sean says, are kept at a lower potential to the other terminal. In a lot of AC circuits there's actually an underlying DC component which means the electrolytic capactor would be grand.

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#4 28-04-2007 06:51AM

bushy...

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There are polarity-free ones for motor starting and audio stuff.

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