The statement that the capacitance of a capacitor is 5 microfarads (μF) refers to the capacitor’s ability to store electrical charge. Capacitance is a measure of how much electric charge can be stored per unit voltage applied across the capacitor’s terminals.
In practical terms, a capacitor with a capacitance of 5 μF can store a certain amount of charge when a voltage is applied to it. Capacitance is expressed in farads, where one microfarad equals one millionth of a farad (1 μF = 10-6 F). Therefore, a 5 μF capacitor can store 5 x 10-6 farads of charge.
This characteristic is crucial in various electronic circuits, including filters, oscillators, and signal coupling. A higher capacitance usually means the capacitor can store more charge, making it suitable for specific applications where smoother power supply or energy storage is necessary.