Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!portal!cup.portal.com!R_Tim_Coslet From: R_Tim_Coslet@cup.portal.com Newsgroups: sci.electronics Subject: Re: (easy) capacitor question Message-ID: <7330@cup.portal.com> Date: 14 Jul 88 05:08:29 GMT References: <24300028@silver> Organization: The Portal System (TM) Lines: 31 XPortal-User-Id: 1.1001.4086 In Article: <24300028@silver> sl144007@silver.bacs.indiana.edu Robert Schofield Writes: > I have a question that should be easy for those in this group. > > Is the voltage rating of an electrolytic capacitor the maximum it can >handle or is it the voltage required to drive the capacitor? (If that is even a >correct thing to say) What I really want to know is if I can substitute a 35v, >47 microfarad capacitor for a 16v, 47 microfarad capacitor. Yes you can substitute a 35V Electrolytic for a 16V Electrolytic.... However it may degrade and drop in capacitance some over time (but I would not worry much about it with that voltage difference, this could be a significant problem with a 100V Electrolytic used in place of a 16V though). The newer electrolytics (ex. Tantalum's) will probably be bothered less by "Under Voltage" than older ones containing "moist" electrolyte soaked paper (the "moist" electrolyte can disolve the dielectric and needs a small leakage current to keep it "formed"). It was recommended in the Electronics books I used in school (if I remember it right) not to replace an Electrolytic with another one rated much more the about 2x to 3x the rating the circuit was designed for... but NEVER replace one with a rating less than the one it was designed for (it will probably explode)! R. Tim Coslet Usenet: R_Tim_Coslet@cup.portal.com BIX: r.tim_coslet