Dielectric constant: Learn what dielectric constant

Learn what dielectric constant is, how to calculate it, and how it affects materials and devices. Explore the examples, concepts, and applications of dielectric constant in physics and engineering. Common materials and their relative permittivity. The dielectric constant - also called the relative permittivity indicates how easily a material can become polarized by imposition of an electric field on an insulator. Relative permittivity is the ratio of "the permittivity of a substance to the permittivity of space or vacuum ". The dielectric constant shows how well a material holds electric charge. It compares this ability to a vacuum. You can find it using the formula κ = ε/ε₀. Here, ε is the material’s permittivity, and ε₀ is free space’s permittivity (about 8.854 x 10⁻¹² F/m). This value is important in electromagnetism. The dielectric constant, or relative permittivity, is a key concept in electromagnetism and materials science. It measures how effectively a material can store electrical energy within an electric field compared to a vacuum. This quantity is dimensionless and varies across different substances.