Dielectric

A dielectric is an electrical insulator whose bound charges shift or reorient in an electric field, producing polarization. This response lets it store electrical energy and changes the capacitance of devices containing it.

Electric polarization: The separation or alignment of positive and negative charges within matter in response to an electric field. It is the defining response that distinguishes a dielectric from an ordinary empty region.
Capacitor: An electrical component that stores energy in an electric field between conductors. A dielectric between its conductors increases capacitance and helps determine its voltage limit.
Electric field: A vector field describing the electric force per unit charge at each point in space. A dielectric’s polarization and breakdown are responses to the field applied across it.
Electrical conductor: A material in which electric charges move readily under an applied electric field. Conductors redistribute mobile charge, unlike dielectrics, whose charges remain largely bound.
Relative permittivity: A dimensionless measure of how a material’s permittivity compares with that of a vacuum. It quantifies how strongly a dielectric modifies electric fields and capacitance.
Ceramic capacitor: A capacitor that uses ceramic material as its dielectric. Its ceramic dielectric enables compact components with a wide range of capacitances.
Permittivity: A measure of how a medium responds to an electric field in an electromagnetic description. It is the material property that relates electric displacement to field strength.
Semiconductor: A material whose electrical conductivity lies between that of a conductor and an insulator and can be controlled. Semiconductors combine insulating and conducting behavior rather than serving chiefly as polarized insulators.
Electric susceptibility: A measure of how readily a material polarizes in response to an electric field. It links the applied field to the dielectric’s induced polarization.
Dielectric resonator: A structure that confines electromagnetic energy in a resonant mode using a dielectric material. Its permittivity and low losses let dielectric materials guide microwave resonances.

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