❖ What is dielectric material?
➢ A dielectric (or dielectric material) is an electrical
insulator that can be polarized by an applied
electric field.
➢ When a dielectric material is placed in an electric
field, electric charges do not flow through the
material as they do in an electrical conductor but
only slightly shift from their average equilibrium
positions causing dielectric polarization.
❖ What is dielectric polarization? E
➢ In the classical approach, a
material is made up of atoms.
Each atom consists of a cloud of
negative charge (electrons) Stable atom Direction of dipole moment (M)
bound to and surrounding a
positive point charge at its center. Before application of
external electric field
After application of external electric
field dipole is induce inside a
dielectric material
➢ In the presence of an electric field
FIG A
E
the charge cloud is distorted, as
shown in the figure.
Stable atom Direction of dipole moment (M)
Before application of After application of external electric
external electric field field dipole is induce inside a
dielectric material
FIG A
➢ Due to application of external electric field a dipole is create or
induce inside a dielectric materials. Which reduces the effect of
external electric field?
Stable atom Direction of dipole moment (M)
Before application of After application of external electric field
external electric field dipole is induce inside a dielectric material
❖ What is dipole moment?
➢ A dipole is characterized by its
dipole moment, a vector quantity
shown in the figure as the blue Dipole
arrow labeled P.
➢ It is the relationship between the
electric field and the dipole moment
that gives rise to the behavior of the
dielectric.
❖ What is dipole moment?
Dipole
➢ Note that the dipole moment points in the same direction as
the electric field in the figure. This isn't always the case, and is
a major simplification, but is true for many materials.
In this case of dielectric material,
Dipole moment per unit volume (i.e Also known as polarization
of dielectric) is directly proportional to external electric field
applied.
𝑷∝𝑬
𝑷 = 𝜺𝟎 𝜒𝑒 𝑬
Where,
χe is the Electric susceptibility of materials
P= Polarization or dielectric moment per unit
volume
E=External Electric field applied
ε0 is the electric permittivity of free space.
E
E
Dielectric
material
Before application of
external electric field Direction of dipole moment (P)
After application of external electric field
dipole is induce inside a dielectric material
A
B
❖ What is Permittivity?
➢ Permittivity, also called electric permittivity, is a constant of
proportionality that exists between electric displacement and
electric field intensity. This constant is equal to approximately
8.85 x 10-12 farad per meter (F/m) in free space (a vacuum).
➢ The vacuum characterizes the least possible value of
Permittivity. This is commonly referred to as Permittivity of Free
Space or electric constant. Denoted by ϵ0 and has the value
8.85✕ 10-12 F/m.
❖ What is Permittivity?
➢ The permittivity of a dielectric is represented by the ratio of
its absolute permittivity to electric constant and is commonly
called relative permittivity. It is a dimensionless quantity and
is given as:
𝜀
𝜀𝑟 =
𝜀0
Where,
ϵ0 is the electric constant/permittivity of free space/vacuum
ϵr is the relative permittivity or dielectric constant
ϵ is the absolute permittivity of that material
❖ Electric susceptibility
➢ The electric susceptibility χe of dielectric materials is a
measure of how easily it polarizes in response to an electric
field.
➢ It is defined as the constant of proportionality (which may
be a tensor) relating an electric field E to the induced
dielectric polarization density P such that,
𝑃 = 𝜀0 𝜒𝑒𝐸
➢ the susceptibility of a medium is related to its relative
permittivity εr by
𝜒𝑒 = εr − 1
So in the case of a vacuum,
𝜒𝑒 = 0
The electric displacement D is related to the polarization density P
by
𝐷 = ε0 E + P
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚
𝑃 = 𝜀0 𝜒𝑒𝐸
𝐷 = ε0 E + 𝜀0 𝜒𝑒𝐸
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚
𝐷 = ε0 E(1 + 𝜒𝑒) 𝜒𝑒 = εr −1
𝐹𝑟𝑜𝑚
𝐷 = ε0 εr E
εr = 1 + 𝜒𝑒
❖ Dielectric loss
➢ Dielectric loss (i.e. loss of energy) is the energy loss that is
occur due energy goes into heating a dielectric material in a
varying electric field.
❖ Dielectric strength
➢ Dielectric strength is the maximum electric field that a pure
material can withstand under ideal conditions without
breaking down.
❖ Dielectric constant
The dielectric constant is a measure of the amount of electric
potential energy, in the form of induced polarization that is
stored in a given volume of material under the action of an
electric field. It is expressed as the ratio of the dielectric
permittivity of the material to that of a vacuum or dry air.
𝜀
𝜀𝑟 =
Where, 𝜀0
ϵ0 is the electric constant/permittivity of free space/vacuum
ϵr is the relative permittivity or dielectric constant
ϵ is the absolute permittivity of that material
Types of polarization
❑ Dielectric polarization
➢ Dielectric polarization occurs when a dipole moment is
formed in an insulating material because of an externally
applied electric field.
➢ When a current interacts with a dielectric (insulating)
material, the dielectric material will respond with a shift in
charge distribution with the positive charges aligning with
the electric field and the negative charges aligning against
it.
➢ By taking advantage of this response, important circuit
elements such as capacitors can be made.
Types of polarization
❑ Electronic Polarization
Electronic polarization may be induced to one degree or
another in all atoms. It results from a displacement of the
center of the negatively charged electron cloud relative to
the positive nucleus of an atom by the electric field (Figure a).
This polarization type is found in all dielectric materials and
exists only while an electric field is present.
❑ Ionic Polarization
Ionic polarization occurs only in materials that are ionic.
An applied field acts to displace cations in one direction
and anions in the opposite direction, which gives rise to
a net dipole moment. As shown in Figure b.
E
Anions -VE Charge
Cations +VE charge
❑ Orientation Polarization
This type of polarization is found only in substances that
possess permanent dipole moments. Polarization results from
a rotation of the permanent moments into the direction of the
applied field, as represented in Figure c.
