Why doesn't a motor slow down when a capacitor is connected to it in parallel? Here is my understanding. During the first half cycle, the capacitor charges up while the load is getting power. During the zero point, no power from the source goes to the load and the capacitor is holding a charge, but not charging. During the second half of the cycle, the load gets power in reverse and the capacitor starts to discharge in the opposite direction. So there should be two overlapping waves one wgoing go the motor and the other leaving it.
Essentially, the motor would slow down or stall because it is getting negative voltage, but it doesn't. Very confused and please no MATH in your answers. It will only frustrate me further.
Best Answer
This is your misunderstanding.
Since the capacitor is directly across the mains with very low resistance anywhere in the circuit the capacitor voltage will follow the mains exactly in sync. There will be no lag (as there is in an RC circuit, for example) because there is no resistance.
The capacitor has no affect on the operation of the motor.