capacitive

Capacitive refers to a technology that uses the electrical properties of the human body (specifically, the ability to store an electrical charge) to detect touch.

How it works:

1. Transparent conductive layer
   A capacitive touchscreen has a glass surface coated with a transparent conductive material (commonly indium tin oxide, ITO).

2. Electrostatic field
   The conductive layer holds a uniform electrostatic field across the surface.

3. Human touch as a conductor
   When your finger (or another conductive object) touches the screen, it disturbs that electrostatic field.

   • Your skin naturally carries a tiny electrical charge.

   • Touching the screen changes the local capacitance (the ability to store electrical charge).

4. Sensing the change
   Sensors at the corners or across a grid on the screen detect where the change in capacitance occurred.

   • The system then calculates the exact location of the touch.

Key points about capacitive touchscreens:

• Multi-touch capable: They can register more than one finger at a time (pinch-to-zoom, rotate, etc.).

• No pressure needed: Unlike resistive touchscreens (which need physical pressure), capacitive ones only need contact.

• Requires conductive input: They work with bare fingers or special capacitive styluses, but not with ordinary gloves or plastic pens (unless designed with conductive tips).

In short, capacitive touchscreens mean the system detects touches by sensing changes in electrical charge, rather than mechanical pressure.