Permittivity
Permittivity
Permittivity (/pɜːrmɪˈtɪvɪti/), also known as electric permittivity, is a fundamental property of materials that affects the electric field within them. It is a measure of how an electric field affects, and is affected by, a dielectric medium.
Etymology
The term "permittivity" comes from the Latin word 'permittere', meaning 'to allow'. This is in reference to the way permittivity allows an electric field to propagate through a material.
Definition
Permittivity is defined as the ability of a substance to store electrical energy in an electric field. It is denoted by the Greek letter ε (epsilon). The permittivity of a medium describes how much electric field (charge) the material will allow to be established per unit of electric field strength.
Types of Permittivity
There are two types of permittivity: absolute permittivity and relative permittivity.
- Absolute Permittivity (ε) is the measure of the total permittivity of a material. It is a physical quantity that describes how an electric field affects and is affected by a medium.
- Relative Permittivity (εr), also known as the dielectric constant, is the ratio of the absolute permittivity of a substance to the absolute permittivity of free space.
Related Terms
- Dielectric: A substance that is poor conductor of electricity, but an efficient supporter of electrostatic fields.
- Electric field: A region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.
- Capacitance: The ability of a system to store an electric charge.
- Permeability: The measure of a material's ability to conduct a magnetic field.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Permittivity
- Wikipedia's article - Permittivity
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