I was recently electrocuted by a capacitor in a disposable camera I dissasembled. It is black with thick white stripes on the sides and boxes along the stripes. It also has the number 980 on it.
Can someone please tell me the maximum charge this thing can hold? I know how painful the shock felt, but I want to know how powerful it was. It was powered by 1 AA battery.
Thanks.
2006-07-16 10:23:32 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Consumer Electronics ➔ Other - Electronics
Okay, so maybe it wasn't electrocution. But it darn well could've been. The shock reached my shoulder before it stopped. I couldn't feel my arm for 45 min, and it was still pretty weak for an hour afterwards.
2006-07-17 06:51:51 · update #1
The number was probably a part number.
Capacitors vary in farads typically micro to milli.
many capacitors do have a voltage rating, maximum voltage it was designed for safety.
as not to exceed the break down voltage of the electrolyte.
many capacitors used for small flashes use about 300 volts and up, and a rating of 100 micro farads.
It will give you one hell of a jolt.
As to how a 1.5 volt battery make 300 volts plus, easy, they use an oscillator circuit ( converts dc to ac) then use a step up transformer, to bring the voltage up, but this is AC, a diode is used to use the positive or negative side of the AC, ( rectifier)
The diode is connected to the capacitor.
When you turn on the camera, you will hear a squeal, this is the oscillator charging up the capacitor.
Be care full it can cause you harm,
Can cause minor electrical burns.
also electrocution, especially if it finds a path through your heart.
2006-07-17 06:44:28 · answer #1 · answered by Juggernaut 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A capacitor is like a battery but it stores hi voltage instead of current (amps). Capacitors are rated in voltage and farads. On Air conditioner compressors and other large motors a big capacitor is usually mounted on the device or near by. The trick is how do you charge one? You would need some type of decent voltage DC power supply. Your camera takes the 1.5vdc and feeds it through an oscillator then through a transformer then into a rectifier circuit to crank up the voltage.
2006-07-16 17:58:51 · answer #2 · answered by dbsnider1972 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you were electrocuted you wouldn't have asked the question.
Electrocution is death by electricity.
You received a shock.
The charge on a capacitor is given by Q=CV
Q = charge in Coulombs
C = capacitance in farads
V = voltage across the capacitor
The voltage across the capacitor would have been a few hundred.
Although a higher voltage is used to initiate the discharge, it is a very short pulse so it wasn't that which you felt.
2006-07-16 22:26:39 · answer #3 · answered by dmb06851 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋