Capacitors: Storing More Energy with Dielectrics

Putting an insulator between two metal plates actually lets them store MORE energy.

It's called a capacitor, and it's like a super-fast battery that doesn't use chemicals.

It's just two plates holding opposite charges. Normally, a power source fills

the plates with charge until the capacitor's voltage matches the source. But if you slide

a material, called a dielectric, in between the plates, something wild happens. The dielectric weakens

the electric field, causing the voltage to drop. Since the voltage is now lower,

the power source can cram way more charge onto the plates. More charge means

more energy stored.