can capacitor store charge.? please help.

[Faiyaz]

does a capacitor store charge or does it simply transfers charge from one plate to another.? Does a capacitor store charge or does it store energy?
I,m confused. Please help.

 

[Brocktune]

does a capacitor store charge or does it simply transfers charge from one plate to another.? Does a capacitor store charge or does it store energy?
I,m confused. Please help.

I think the reason you are confused is because the answer to both of your questions is 'yes'. It doesn't only do one of those things, it does both.

By moving charge from one plate to another, it holds a potential within itself. Positive charge is stored on the positive plate, and negative charge is stored on the negative plate. Between the plates now is a potential, which is really a form of energy. Stored up energy that is waiting to be released.

 

[Optikon]

The energy is stored in the electric field between the two "plates" this electric field spans the dielectric material. When charge gets onto the plates, the dielectric polarizes at the molecular level. "Work" is performed to do this. When the capacitor discharges, work is performed to get the charge to flow. And so when the cap is charged, there is a sort of "potential energy" stored in the electric field. It takes energy to build the E-field and it takes energy to collapse it.

 

[Noggin]

It takes energy to collapse it? The electric field stores energy, so isn't it better to say it releases energy as it collapses?