What happens to stored energy when a capacitor discharges?

When a capacitor discharges, the stored energy is converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or light.

A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy in an electric field. It is made up of two conductive plates separated by an insulator or dielectric. When a voltage is applied across the plates, an electric field is created and energy is stored in this field. This is known as charging the capacitor.

The stored energy in a capacitor can be calculated using the formula E = 1/2 CV^2, where E is the energy, C is the capacitance and V is the voltage. The energy is stored in the electric field between the plates, and it remains there until the capacitor is connected to a circuit that allows it to discharge.

When a capacitor discharges, the stored energy is released. This happens when the plates are connected through a circuit, allowing the charges to flow from one plate to the other. The energy that was stored in the electric field is then converted into other forms of energy.

The exact form of energy that the stored energy is converted into depends on the circuit. In a simple resistive circuit, the energy is converted into heat as the charges flow through the resistance. This is due to the Joule heating effect, where electrical energy is converted into heat in a resistor.

In other circuits, the energy could be converted into light, as in a flashbulb, or into kinetic energy, as in a motor. The key point is that the energy does not disappear; it is simply converted from one form (electrical potential energy) into another form. This is a direct application of the principle of conservation of energy, which states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another.

In summary, when a capacitor discharges, the energy that was stored in the electric field between its plates is released and converted into other forms of energy, such as heat or light, depending on the circuit it is connected to.