Thread: Non-polar dielectric in electric field

Lots of questions. IMO, questions get tougher and tougher. Answers to the toughest ones would be all the more appreciated :wink:

I'm searching for a dielectric material that does not get attracted to the +ve or -ve plates of an electric field (electrostatic sources).

1. I also wonder if charge would accumulate on the surface of the dielectric when in the presence of an electric field. (my understanding is that charge can only be exchanged through contact and then separation)

2. Say you had two positive plates with a dielectric in between them, would they repel less from each other? Would the dielectric be repelled by the plates?

3. Does a non-polar dielectric (e.g. pressurized SF6) get attracted to a positive or negative plate? Or does it simply attenuate the electric field without having a force induced on it since it does not get polarized?

4. Also, does polarity or non-polarity of a material have anything to do with its attraction or repulsion from the field source? What if it's a non-uniform field source? What is a non-uniform field anyway? Does it have to do with the frequency of the field? (say 60 Hz)

5. Furthermore, IF a non-polar dielectric is not attracted to an electric field source, THEN what non-polar material/gas out there has the highest dielectric constant (i.e. relative static permittivity)? (something you can purchase online would be great!)

Originally Posted by Andyupnorth

Lots of questions. IMO, questions get tougher and tougher. Answers to the toughest ones would be all the more appreciated :wink:

I'm searching for a dielectric material that does not get attracted to the +ve or -ve plates of an electric field (electrostatic sources).

1. I also wonder if charge would accumulate on the surface of the dielectric when in the presence of an electric field. (my understanding is that charge can only be exchanged through contact and then separation)

2. Say you had two positive plates with a dielectric in between them, would they repel less from each other? Would the dielectric be repelled by the plates?

3. Does a non-polar dielectric (e.g. pressurized SF6) get attracted to a positive or negative plate? Or does it simply attenuate the electric field without having a force induced on it since it does not get polarized?

4. Also, does polarity or non-polarity of a material have anything to do with its attraction or repulsion from the field source? What if it's a non-uniform field source? What is a non-uniform field anyway? Does it have to do with the frequency of the field? (say 60 Hz)

5. Furthermore, IF a non-polar dielectric is not attracted to an electric field source, THEN what non-polar material/gas out there has the highest dielectric constant (i.e. relative static permittivity)? (something you can purchase online would be great!)

I am not sure where you are going with this.

If by dielectric you mean simply a non-conductor then that is one thing.

But it you mean a material with a dielectric constant that is other than 1, such behavior is associated with a distortion of the electron cloud in responsse to an applied electric field -- polarization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dielectric

Originally Posted by DrRocket

I am not sure where you are going with this.

If by dielectric you mean simply a non-conductor then that is one thing.

But it you mean a material with a dielectric constant that is other than 1, such behavior is associated with a distortion of the electron cloud in responsse to an applied electric field -- polarization.

DrRocket, I want a material that strongly attenuates electric fields, while not getting attracted or repelled by the field's source.

I'm quite sure that higher dielectric constants results in more attenuation.

However, does such a material get a force induced in it? Perhaps because of polarization?

How about a non-polar dielectric with a constant greater than 1? Is it possible for a non-polar dielectric to get polarized?

applying a strong enough field will deform the electronic structure of the material and indeed result in polarization.

your question needs limits, please advise.