When testing a capacitor with an analog or digital ohmmeter, what should the meter do?

When testing a capacitor with an analog or digital ohmmeter, the behavior of the meter aligns with the expected characteristics of a capacitor. Initially, when you first connect the meter leads to the capacitor, it will measure low resistance as the capacitor begins to charge. This is a transient response; as the capacitor charges, the resistance reading decreases rapidly and eventually approaches infinity, indicating that the capacitor is no longer allowing DC current to pass through.

The subsequent rise in resistance back to a high reading signifies that the capacitor is functioning correctly, as it has stored the charge. A healthy capacitor will first allow current to flow (low resistance) and then stop the flow (high resistance) after charging, which confirms both the integrity and the functional ability of the capacitor.

This behavior demonstrates essential principles of capacitance and the expected results when testing these components, establishing the capacitor's ability to store electrical energy temporarily.