Also known as a condenser, a capacitor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that stores potential energy in an electric field. Most capacitors contain at least two electrical conductors often in the form of metallic plates or surfaces separated by a dielectric medium. Dielectric is an electrical insulator with low electrical conduction. Dielectric has many benefits; one of those is that we can put a small separation between the electrical conductors’ plates, without they get in touch. Any substance when subjected to intense electric fields can become a conductor, for this reason dielectrics are more used as insulators than air, because when air is subjected to an intense electric field, it becomes a conductor.
Capacitors are used in various types of electrical circuits, in cameras loading loads for the flash, for example. They can have a cylindrical or flat format, depends on the circuit they are being used.