Capacitor

What some capacitors look like.  There are still others.

Capacitors store and discharge energy, much like a battery.  The difference is that regular batteries store their energy in a chemical form, whereas capacitors store their energy in an electric field.  Capacitance is measured in Farads.  Larger capacitors have polarity, whereas smaller capacitors often do not.  This video is one source to learn more about capacitors.

An electronic schematic shows capacitors using a symbol, that does not look much like the actual part. Too many other parts have the same basic look. The symbol is more unique.

• More information about capacitors.  The existing article gets more technical than needed for basic understanding, but is still readable.