1 farad of capacitance stores how much charge at a potential difference of 1 volt?

The concept of capacitance is fundamental in understanding how capacitors function in electrical circuits. Capacitance is defined as the ability of a component or circuit to store electrical charge, and it is quantified in farads (F). Specifically, 1 farad of capacitance indicates the capacitor can store 1 coulomb of electrical charge when there is a potential difference (voltage) of 1 volt across its terminals.

This relationship is captured in the formula for capacitance:

[ C = \frac{Q}{V} ]

where ( C ) is the capacitance in farads, ( Q ) is the charge in coulombs, and ( V ) is the potential difference in volts. When rearranging this formula, it becomes clear that:

[ Q = C \times V ]

Inserting the values from the question, if ( C = 1 , F ) and ( V = 1 , V ), then:

[ Q = 1 , F \times 1 , V = 1 , coulomb ]

This shows that at a potential difference of 1 volt, a capacitor with a capacitance of 1 farad indeed stores 1 coulomb of charge