Dielectric Constant

Dielectric constant, abbreviated as \(\kappa\) (greek symbol kappa), is when a material is placed in an electric field, the electric field induces polarization in the material.  The dielectric constant is a ratio of the electric field in a vacuum to the electric field in the material.  It provides information about how easily the material can be polarized by an external electric field. 

A material with a higher dielectric constant can store more electrical energy in an electric field than a material with a lower dielectric constant.  Dielectric constants are important in the design and analysis of electrical components such as capacitors, where materials with high dielectric constants are used to increase the capacitance of the device.

 

Dielectric Constant formula
\( \kappa  \;=\;  \epsilon_r \;=\;  \epsilon_m \;/\; \epsilon_0 \)     (Dielectric Constant) \( \epsilon_m \;=\; \epsilon_r \; \epsilon_0  \) \( \epsilon_0 \;=\; \epsilon_m \;/\; \epsilon_r \)
Symbol	English	Metric
\( \kappa \)  (greek symbol kappa) = Dielectric Constant	-	\(dimensionless\)
\( \epsilon_r \) = Relative Permittivity	-	\(F \;/\; m\)
\( \epsilon_m \) = Permittivity of the Material	-	\(F \;/\; m\)
\( \epsilon_0 \) = Permittivity of Vacuum	-	\(F \;/\; m\)