Dielectric constant Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description

In physics, the dielectric constant is a property of an insulator. It specifies the relative permittivity of a material. Where ε is the permittivity of the material in question, and ε₀ is the permittivity of free space, the dielectric constant ε_r is defined as the ratio:

In vacuum (free space), the permittivity ε is just ε₀, so the dielectric constant is unity:

The dielectric constant is an essential piece of information when designing capacitors, and in other circumstances where a material might be expected to introduce capacitance into a circuit. If a material with a high dielectric constant is placed in an electric field, the magnitude of that field will be measurably reduced within the volume of the dielectric. This fact is commonly exploited to increase the rating of capacitors.

It is also crucial for the construction of dielectric waveguides.

insert relation to refractive index

Example values for some materials

Medium	εr	Refractive index
Vacuum	1.0000	1.0000
Air	1.0006	1.0003
Paper (dry)	2.0
Wood (dry)	2.0 - 6.0
Rubber	3.0
Glass	4.5
Dry soil	3.9
Moist soil	29.0
Water	81.0	1.333
Water (0° C)	88.0
Water (100° C)	55.3

External link

• Full Dielectric Constant Table

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