In which field does a capacitor store energy?

A capacitor stores energy in an electric field. This occurs when the capacitor is charged by connecting it to a voltage source; positive and negative charges accumulate on its plates, creating an imbalance that leads to the formation of an electric field between them. The energy stored in this electric field is proportional to the capacitance and the voltage applied, expressed by the formula:

[

\text{Energy} (E) = \frac{1}{2} C V^2

]

where ( C ) is the capacitance in farads and ( V ) is the voltage in volts. This principle is fundamental to the operation of capacitors in various electronic devices, such as smoothing out fluctuations in power supply or storing energy for later use in circuits.

In contrast, magnetic fields, thermal energy, and mechanical energy are associated with different concepts and types of components. Magnetic fields pertain to inductors and coils, while thermal energy relates to heat transfer and storage. Mechanical energy is associated with physical motion and potential energy in mechanical systems. These distinctions highlight why the electric field is the correct answer for where a capacitor stores its energy.