Capacitors

[Melcin Powell]

Alright i know ive already posted about capacitors but i guess im a slow learner, but what i understand is in a DC circuit with a capacitor attached to it will continue to go through the board until the capacitor is full, but does the capacitor discharge as soon as it is full or does it only discharge when the energy is needed(the battery is removed).

[Conscripted]

Alright i know ive already posted about capacitors but i guess im a slow learner, but what i understand is in a DC circuit with a capacitor attached to it will continue to go through the board until the capacitor is full, but does the capacitor discharge as soon as it is full or does it only discharge when the energy is needed(the battery is removed).

To oversimplify things a bit a capacitor will discharge when the voltage is needed and there is a path for the current. They will also discharge over time if the power is removed and there is not a path for the current.

Conscripted

[Melcin Powell]

since the current is blocked by the capacitor wouldn't the other electronic components in the circuit need the voltage so as soon as it is full it would release energy? and please don't feel the need to oversimplify things i would like to know how to use this component correctly, but i just can't seem to understand how or when it discharges or how it is useful. 

[Soeren]

Hi,

A cap in a DC circuit (I assume you mean connected over the power lines) will initially charge to the voltage of the power rails and will then act as buffers when a load pulls more current than the supply can deliver (due to a too high impedance). The voltage on the cap will go down somewhat in that scenario, but will be replenished by the supply as soon as the load is lessened.
It will also filter out some of the noise on the power line.

When power is disconnected, it is discharged quite fast (depending on capacity and current drain).

It will self-discharge due to stray currents, both internal and through the outside - could all such currents be nulled out, it wouldn't self-discharge at all.

[Melcin Powell]

Ahhhh ok thanks a ton i really appreciate the help.