An electrical device that stores electrical energy temporarily, used in circuits to regulate power flow.
From Latin 'capacitas' (capability, capacity) with the '-or' suffix marking an agent or device. Coined in electrical engineering in the early 1900s from 'capacity'.
Capacitors are like electrical springs—they store and release energy in controlled bursts, and every electronic device relies on them so heavily that without capacitors, smartphones, computers, and even LED lights couldn't exist.
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