The possible damage caused by incorrect elecro cap orientation?

[killerkev]

I was wondering what damage could be caused by having a Electrolytic or tautalum cap oriented wrong.  For instance, in a big muff circuit, would it cause damage to the cap, diode, or tranny?

[R.G.]

Most likely the cap. Damage depends on how much current flows, and the transistors and diodes are in series with some biggish resistors. The cap is most likely .

[calpolyengineer]

I built a talkbox once with a tantalum cap. While I was using it there was a fairly loud pop. Turns out tantalum caps aren't big fans of high current.

Anyway, with polarized capacitors, there is usually some kind of chemical dielectric that doesn't respond well chemically to reverse voltage. So you have to orient them so that the negative side is at a lower potential than the positive side. Film, ceramic, and others don't have this requirement because there is no chemical process going on inside.

-Joe

[Paul Perry (Frostwave)]

I can't see it causing trouble in a Big Muff.
In other circuits, anything may happen - including exploding, in the case of a power supply filter cap.
When used as a filter cap, usually the mos tthat happens is that it leaks a bit of current, throwing off the bias.
One of the most mysterious faults I ever had, was a mysterious irregular rumbling sound. Turned out to be a coupling cap that was a tantalum cap - but the wrong way around  Well there wasn't enough current flowing to blow the tant, but the irregular leakage gave a very mysterious effect, like a bad connection rubbing around. I would have liked to use it as the basis of a strange irregular LFO, but I doubt that the behaviour would have remained steady enough.

[demonstar]

I've seen a few aluminium electrolytic caps go bang in Physics classes before because they've been connected the wrong way around. It usually scares everyone half to death. Usually they are 25V 2200uF and trust me even though they physically ain't that big, they can certainly make a bang. 

[frank_p]

LOL Yeah.  There is a guy that I hated in my electronic class.  He was always bulling everyone.  Well, he connected his cap wrong way.  BANG and fell off his chair.  Everyone was scared to death, but I had my sweet revenge without doing anything.