I am completely blanking on what this component is called/what it does. Can someone help me out... -_-
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\$\begingroup\$ I'd need some context - Where did you find it? (Hoping the answer isn't "On the floor of my parts room") \$\endgroup\$– Kevin VermeerCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 4:41
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\$\begingroup\$ Alternatively, some multimeters also allow you to measure the capacitance. \$\endgroup\$– stanigatorCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 5:09
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\$\begingroup\$ I just found it in a box with an assortment of other components =S \$\endgroup\$– rrazdCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 5:14
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1\$\begingroup\$ @rrazd - It most certainly could be a thermistor. That, or an old cap of some sort. Measure it's resistance with a DMM. \$\endgroup\$– Connor WolfCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 6:17
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1\$\begingroup\$ @rrazd - You accepted the answer, but didn't indicate whether it turned out to be a cap or a thermistor: Which one was it? \$\endgroup\$– Kevin VermeerCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 17:57
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4 Answers
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This looks like either a ceramic disk capacitor or a thermistor. Those two are easy to distinguish. Test it with a ohmmeter, and a capacitor will read like a open circuit. A thermistor will have some finite resistance. Then warm it up with your hand and see if it changes. Make sure to not be touching the leads when you measure it warm, else your body resistance will distort the reading. If the resistance changed (probably lower) a decent measurable amount from hand warming, you should be able to see it slowly go back to the original value as it cools back to room temperature.
If this is a capacitor, it is probably in the range of a few pF to a few nF. Thermistors can vary from a few Ω to a few 100kΩ in the same package between models.
answered Aug 10, 2011 at 11:20
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Some NTC thermistors look a lot like your part, e.g. this one from Vishay. You could try to connect it to an Ohm-meter and measure the resistance while applying heat to the body of the part. Maybe you can extract a typical NTC thermistor curve (K vs. Ohm) this way.
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My first thought was a varistor, but while I think to have seen them color coded, most just have their value printed on them.
So probably ceramic capacitor.
Come to think of it, I once (many moons ago) used an NTC resistor that looked exactly like this part. So it might well be an NTC.
(Upvote zebonaut's answer; he thought of it first.)
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\$\begingroup\$ I've never seen a capacitor with a color code. Do they exist? \$\endgroup\$– Joel BCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 16:50
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That is a ceramic capacitator (possibly not ceramic,but pretty sure it is a cap),I can't tell much from the picture, but you can go here to find and calculate the value yourself.
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\$\begingroup\$ I've never seen a capacitor with a color code. Do they exist? \$\endgroup\$– Joel BCommented Aug 10, 2011 at 16:48
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\$\begingroup\$ @Joel: There used to be film capacitors with color codes (late 70s to early 80s, maybe?): forum2.magnetofon.de/bildupload/Bauteil_unbekannt.jpg Amazingly pretty parts, if you ask me. Also, axial ceramic THT mount capacitors are still around with color codes: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/… \$\endgroup\$– zebonautCommented Aug 23, 2011 at 10:39
