Bennett Mechanical Comprehension Practice Test 2025 - Free Practice Questions and Review Guide

The function of a capacitor in an electric circuit is to temporarily store electrical energy. Capacitors are passive electronic components that consist of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material known as a dielectric. When a voltage is applied across the plates, an electric field is created, allowing the capacitor to store energy in the form of an electric charge. This stored energy can be released back into the circuit when needed, making capacitors essential for functions like smoothing out voltage fluctuations, filtering signals, and providing bursts of energy for short periods.

The other options do not accurately describe the primary function of a capacitor. Although capacitors can play a role in AC to DC conversion and voltage regulation in specific applications (like power supplies and filters), these functions involve additional components and are not the core purpose of a capacitor itself. Capacitors do not directly boost voltage; instead, they can store and release energy, which might influence voltage over time in a circuit but do not inherently increase voltage levels. Thus, the correct answer highlights the primary and fundamental role of capacitors within electrical circuits.