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Leakage is the diffusion of energy or matter out of a container. In chemistry, leakage carries the meaning of undesirable loss of chemicals; while in electronics, leakage means the gradual loss of energy from a cell or capacitor stored with high chemical energy.

Electronics

In electronics, leakage is a property of dielectric materials used in capacitors, also known as dielectric leakage. It is a result of the dielectric material having a finite resistance and therefore carrying a current (known as the leakage current) due to the voltage across it. This results in capacitors discharging themselves over time (analagous to a bucket full of water with a hole in it, the size of hole relating to the amount of leakage).

The dielectric material can be selected to have low leakage, which can be required for some electronics applications such as sample and hold circuits.

Chemistry

In chemistry, leakage is a process which materials are loss gradually through the holes of their containers. Often, leakage can be disastrous if the leaked material is harmful or corrosive.

Zinc-carbon battery is an example of easy-leaking system. The electrolytes inside the cell often leaks out of the cell shell and causes damage to the electronic appliance.

Retail

In retail, leakage is the loss of stock without a compensating stream of revenue, for example, a till operator stealing from a till, or a shoplifter stealing stock.

• Electronics
• Chemistry
• Retail