The document describes the basic operation and construction of a capacitor. A capacitor consists of two conducting parallel plates separated by an insulating material called the dielectric. When a switch is closed, electrons are repelled from the negative plate and attracted to the positive plate, building up opposite charges on each plate. The stored charge remains when the switch is opened due to the conduction block of the dielectric. Capacitance is directly proportional to plate area and inversely proportional to plate separation distance. Energy is stored in the electric field generated by the charge separation in a capacitor.