Charging and Discharging
When a capacitor is connected to a battery is sends out electrons to one of the plates, this becomes negatively charged. The same amount of electrons move from the second plate and enter the battery, leaving the plate positively charged. The capacitor is now storing a charge or is ‘charged’.
If the charged capacitor is disconnected from the battery and connected to a lamp it will give out the stored charge or will ‘discharge’. The electrons on the negative plate move through the circuit and onto the positive plate. The plates now have no charge on them. The energy stored by the capacitor is transferred to the bulb whilst the electrons move (whilst a current flows).
