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My question is given that a capacitor creates a two charged sides, by the electrons jumping from one plate to another thereby making one having an excess of electrons making it negative and the other positive. How can this process occur, as a capacitor will also create and electric field that has an orientation going from the positive charged plate to the negative charged plate. From my text book

Given that an electron has a negative charge it should then travel in opposite direction of the electric field which the wrong direction that electrons move in a capacitor, for if it were the case that electrons went to the positive end then there would be no negative charged sided or positively charged side in the first place.

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  • $\begingroup$ electrons jumping from one plate to another This is an incorrect assumption. $\endgroup$
    – G. Smith
    Sep 15, 2020 at 16:33
  • $\begingroup$ Then how do the sides charge? what the correct assumption then? $\endgroup$ Sep 15, 2020 at 16:36
  • $\begingroup$ The sides attain charge because one side loses charge and the other side gains the same amount of charge. All of this charge transfer happens through the wires connecting the two sides of the capacitors and not due to electrons jumping across them as Bob D explained in his answer. $\endgroup$ Sep 15, 2020 at 17:08
  • $\begingroup$ Charges build up on the plates because the electrons can’t jump across. They’re like a crowd trying to get through a closed door. $\endgroup$
    – G. Smith
    Sep 15, 2020 at 17:24

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My question is given that a capacitor creates a two charged sides, by the electrons jumping from one plate to another thereby making one having an excess of electrons making it negative and the other positive.

If you mean by "electrons jumping from one plate to another" that the electrons move across the space between the plates, that is not the case. Electrons move from one plate to another through a circuit connected outside the plates, not across the space between the plates. In so doing, the plate from where the electrons came has a net positive charge and the plate to which the electrons travel has a net negative charge, as shown on your diagram.

Given that an electron has a negative charge it should then travel in opposite direction of the electric field which the wrong direction that electrons move in a capacitor, for if it were the case that electrons went to the positive end then there would be no negative charged sided or positively charged side in the first place.

The electrons are not moving in the wrong direction when they move in a direction opposite the direction of the electric field. This is simply because the direction of the electric field has been established, by convention, as the direction of the force that a positive charge would experience if placed in the field.

Similarly, conventional current is the flow of positive charge, even though in most cases current is actually the flow of electrons (negative charge). The convention was established long ago when electricity was still not well understood. In any case, most of the time the direction is not important with respect to the effects of current flow.

Hope this helps.

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