Capacitance

The quantity capacitance (C) describes how the potential (V) changes if the charge (Q) is changed. The corresponding unit is farad (F).

potential (V) = charge (Q) / capacitance (C)

History

The first practical capacitor, the so-called Leiden jar, was (co-)invented in 1746 by the Leiden scholar Petrus van Musschenbroeck (1692 – 1761) and had a capacitance of about 7 nF.

Related quantities

• charge
• current
• energy (electrical)
• potential
• resistance