dcterms:description |
The \(\textit{relative permittivity}\) of a material under given conditions reflects the extent to which it concentrates electrostatic lines of flux.
In technical terms, it is the ratio of the amount of electrical energy stored in a material by an applied voltage,
relative to that stored in a vacuum.
Likewise, it is also the ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor using that material as a dielectric, compared to a similar capacitor that has a vacuum as its dielectric.
Relative permittivity is a dimensionless number that is in general complex.
The imaginary portion of the permittivity corresponds to a phase shift of the polarization \(P\) relative to \(E\) and leads to the attenuation of electromagnetic waves passing through the medium.
\[\epsilon_r(w) = \frac{\epsilon(w)}{\epsilon_O}\],
where \(\epsilon_r(w)\) is the complex frequency-dependent absolute permittivity of the material,
and \(\epsilon_O\) is the vacuum permittivity. |