!HELP!! ALTAIR BLEW SMOKE!!!

From: William R. Buckley <wrb_at_wrbuckley.com>
Date: Tue May 27 07:05:27 2003

Steve Leach said:

> If you could humor my electronic ignorance, what exactly
> is a tantalum cap and how does it differ from a normal
> capacitor? I was never before aware that there could be
> more to a capacitor than plates (or foil) and an
> electrolyte. How can a capacitor have a polarity?

Not an electrolyte, an insulator. It is the inability to
conduct electrons which gives the capacitor its ability to
collect electrons. Electrolytes, in general, are ionic
compounds. Consider the electrolytes of sports drinks. A
good number of salts constitute the valuable components of
sports drinks. When dissolved in water, these salts become
the electrolytes. Now, by being ionic, these electrolytes
are well suited to the conduction of electron flow. This
is most definately not the kind of behavior which you wish
to obtain from a capacitor.

William R. Buckley
Received on Tue May 27 2003 - 07:05:27 BST