Capacitor Types

Ceramic, electrolytic, tantalum and film capacitors — and where each fits.

Easy

Type	Typical range	Strengths	Watch out
Ceramic (MLCC)	pF – 100 µF	tiny, cheap, low ESR	X7R/X5R lose capacitance with DC bias; C0G is stable
Aluminium electrolytic	1 µF – F	large values, cheap	polarised, limited life, higher ESR
Tantalum	0.1 – 1000 µF	compact, stable	polarised; can fail short and burn
Film	nF – µF	stable, low loss, self-healing	bigger
Supercapacitor	0.1 – 3000 F	huge energy	low voltage (~2.7 V per cell)

Reversing a polarised capacitor can make it vent or explode. Choose a voltage rating with margin (e.g. 16 V parts on a 5 V rail).

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