What electrical component stores energy in an electric field?

A capacitor stores electrical energy by accumulating charge on its conductive plates, which creates an electric field in the space between them. The larger the plates or the closer they are together, the stronger the field and the higher the capacitance. Students often confuse capacitors with inductors on this exam. Remember that inductors store energy in a magnetic field, whereas capacitors use an electric field. Other distractors like diodes and varistors do not store energy; diodes control the direction of current flow, and varistors protect circuits from sudden voltage spikes.