Stored Energy
A capacitor consists of two metal surfaces
with an insulating layer between them.
Therefore, it is shown in the circuit diagram
with two unconnected lines. The component
also has an outer protective layer and can
look rather different depending on the make.
In the assembly pictures, a blue, square
capacitor is depicted, yours is round and
light brown. The inscription indicates the
capacity of this capacitor. This is a measure
of how much energy the capacitor contains at
a given voltage. The unit of capacity is called
Farad (after the famous researcher Michael
Faraday). The smaller units are microfarad
(µF), nano-farad (nF) and picofarad (pF).
The label 104 stands for 1, 0, 0000, i.e.
100,000 Picofarad, 100,000 pF = 100 nF.
On the sixth day on your calendar, you will
find new component behind the door: a
capacitor. It is a small, light brown disc with
two wires. On it you will find the inscription
104, which stands for 100 nF (100 Nano-
farad). A capacitor can be charged and
discharged. If you set the main switch 1 to
ON, it is charged. You can then turn it off
again, wait a little and press the button. This
creates a small LED flash that discharges
the capacitor. You can think of it as a kind
of battery that can be recharged over and
over again. However, your charged capacitor
contains very little energy.
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