I am very new to electronics and have a question about capacitors. Does current (electrons) actually flow across the plates (terminals)? I have one book that illustrates it as doing this and another book that specifically says it does not. I'd appreciate someone clarifying this issue for me. Thanks in advance.

Kirk

 

The plates of a capacitor are separated by an insulator, so no current flows through a capacitor unless the insulation has broken down - http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_13/1.html

 

no current in the traditional sense, but the build up of charge on one of the plates causes an electrostatic potential to build up on that plate and force electrons on the other plate away from it (or towards it depending on polarity). It's called displacement current.

 

While this is true for ideal capacitors real world capacitors will invariable have some leakage current associated with them which is real current flow especially higher value electrolytics.