What precaution must you take when using polarized electrolytic capacitors?

Polarized electrolytic capacitors have distinct positive and negative terminals. They are manufactured using a chemical process that creates a very thin insulating oxide layer. This design allows them to achieve a high capacitance in a relatively small physical package. Because of their chemical construction, you must strictly observe the correct polarity when installing them. Applying a reverse voltage can break down the thin oxide layer, causing the capacitor to short out, overheat, and potentially explode. Options suggesting you can only use them at radio frequencies are incorrect, as they are primarily used in low-frequency filtering and power supply applications.