Dielectric constant
Revision as of 06:55, 24 July 2013 by (username removed)
Description
The capacity of a material to resist the transmission of a electricity. The dielectric constant is the ratio of a material's dielectric strength to an electric field in a vacuum (which is set at 1 as a standard). To measure the dielectric constant, an electric field is generated by placing a positive electrode on one side of a material with the negative electrode on the other. A high dielectric constant indicates that a material passes electricity well. A low dielectric constant indicates that a material is a good insulator. Glass has a dielectric constant of 3, while water has a dielectric constant of 81.
Synonyms and Related Terms
constante diélectrique (Fr.); Dielektrizitâtskonstante (Deut.)