Interface Page 25 of 76
Section 2: Operation
2.1 Terms and Conventions
Table 2-1: Measurement Unit Prefixes
Multiple Scientific Engineering Symbol
1000000000000000 10
15
Peta P
1000000000000 10
12
Tera T
1000000000 10
9
Giga G
1000000 10
6
Mega M
1000 10
3
Kilo k
.001 10
-3
milli m
.000001 10
-6
micro µ
.000000001 10
-9
nano n
.000000000001 10
-12
pico p
.000000000000001 10
-15
femto f
Capacitor: Abbreviated C. A capacitor is passive component comprised of two conductors
separated by a dielectric. A capacitor stores charge blocks DC flow and allows
AC flow based on frequency and capacitor design.
Capacitance: The measure of the ratio of charge on either plate of a capacitor to the potential
difference (voltage) across the plates. Unit of measure is the Farad (F).
Compare: Procedure for sorting components by comparing the measured value against a
known standard.
DC: Direct Current. Non-reversing polarity. The movement of charge is in one
direction. Used to describe both current and voltage. Batteries supply direct
current (DC).
Dielectric: A material which is an electrical insulator or in which an electric field can be
sustained with a minimum dissipation of power.
Dielectric Absorption: The physical phenomenon of insulation appearing to absorb and retain an
electrical charge slowly over time. Apply a voltage to a capacitor for an
extended period of time and then quickly discharge it to zero voltage. Leave the
capacitor open circuited for a period of time then connect a voltmeter and
measure the residual voltage. The residual voltage is caused by the dielectric
absorption of the capacitor.
Dielectric Constant: Abbreviated K, relative dielectric constant. The dielectric constant of a material
is the ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor filled with a given dielectric to that
same capacitor having only a vacuum as a dielectric.
Discharge: The act of draining off an electrical charge to ground. Devices that retain charge
should be discharged after an IR test or DC hipot test.
To Next Page
Loading...
