A capacitor blocks DC but it allows AC. Why? and How?

A capacitor blocks DC but it allows AC. Why? and How?

Capacitors have two parallel metallic plates placed close to each other and there is a gap between plates. Whenever a source of voltage (either DC voltage or AC voltage) is connected across a capacitor C, the electrons from the source will reach the plate and stop. They cannot jump across the gap between plates to continue its flow in the circuit. Therefore the electrons flowing in one direction (i.e. DC) cannot pass through the capacitor. But the electrons from AC source seem to flow through C. Let us see what really happens!

DC cannot flow through a capacitor:

Consider a parallel plate capacitor whose plates are uncharged (same amount of positive and negative charges). A DC source (battery) is connected across C as shown in Figure (a).

As soon as battery is connected, electrons start to flow from the negative terminal and are accumulated at the right plate, making it negative. Due to this negative potential, the electrons present in the nearby left plate are repelled and are moved towards positive terminal of the battery. 

When electrons leave the left plate, it becomes positively charged. This process is known as charging. The direction of flow of electrons is shown by arrows.

The charging of the plates continues till the level of the battery. Once C is fully charged and current will stop.

At this time, we say that capacitor is blocking DC Figure (c).

AC flows (?!) through a capacitor:

Now an AC source is connected across C. At an instant, the right side of the source is at negative potential, then the electrons flow from negative terminal to the right plate and from left plate to the positive terminal as shown in Figure (d) but no electron crosses the gap between the plates. These electron-flows are represented by arrows. thus, the charging of the plates takes place and the plates become fully charged (Figure (e)).

After a short time, the polarities of AC source are reversed and the right side of the source is now positive. The electrons which were accumulated in the right plate start to flow to the positive terminal and the electrons from negative terminal flow to the left plate to neutralize the positive charges stored in it. As a result, the net charges present in the plates begin to decrease and this is called discharging. These electron-flows are represented by arrows as shown in Figure (f). Once the charges are exhausted, C will be charged again but with reversed polarities as shown in Figure (g).

Thus the electrons flow in one direction while charging the capacitor and its direction is reversed while discharging (the conventional current is also opposite in both cases). Though electrons flow in the circuit, no electron crosses the gap between the plates. In this way, AC flows through a capacitor.