Capacitance, kuh PAS uh tuhns, is the property of a capacitor that determines the amount of electric charge it can store. A simple capacitor consists of two metal plates parallel to and slightly apart from each other. Wires connect one plate to the positive terminal of a battery and the other plate to the negative terminal. As a result, the plates receive equal but opposite charges. These charges create an electrostatic charge, which results from the attraction that the opposite electric charges have for each other. A capacitor with large plates and a small separation distance stores a greater electrostatic charge than one with small plates and a large separation.