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Dielectric

A capacitor can function if both conductor plates do not touch each other so that the
electric charge does not move from one conductor to another. Likewise, so that the
electric charge does not move from the conductor to the air, the space between the two
conductors must be a vacuum. In the topic about the parallel plate, the capacitor has
been discussed the capacitance of parallel plate capacitors which are separated by a
vacuum. The capacitance of the capacitor in a vacuum has limitations so that to enlarge
the capacitance, placed dielectric between the two plates.
A dielectric is an insulator that separates the two plates or sheets of the conductor on the
capacitor. Isolators are materials that cannot conduct the electric current, for example,
plastic, glass, paper, or wood. The dielectric function is to increase the capacitance so
that the capacitor can store more electric charge and the electric potential energy.
The dielectric increases the capacitance because the electric potential between the two
conductor plates decreases

Why is the capacitance of the capacitor increased after the dielectric is

placed between the two plates or sheets? To find out the answer to this question, first,
remember the lesson about the electric charge. Like electric charge repel each other,
while unlike electric charge attract each other. For example, a positive charge attracts a
negative charge but rejects a positive charge. Then why can negatively charge plastics
attract small pieces of paper that are not electrically charged? This happens because the
piece of paper experiences charge polarization.
Electrons in insulating materials such as paper cannot move freely as electrons in the
conductor materials. So when the negatively charged plastic is brought close to the piece
of paper, the electrons that are bound to the atom are rejected away from the negatively
charged plastic so that there is the polarization of the negative charge and positive
charge on the paper. The negative charge on paper is farther away from plastic while the
positive charge on paper has a distance closer to plastic. Then the negative charge on the
plastic pulls the positive charges on the piece of paper until the paper moves closer to
the plastic.
The polarization process of charge that occurs on pieces of paper is similar to the
polarization of charge that occurs in the dielectric. As shown in the figure on the left
side, for example at first there were only two pieces of electrically charged conductors.
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The left plate is positively charged while the right plate is negatively charged so that the
direction of the electric field is from left to right.
After the dielectric is placed between the two conductor plates, the positive charge on
the left plate pulls the electrons on the nearby dielectric surface, as well as the negative
charge on the right plate repels the electrons on the nearby dielectric surface. The
electrons in the dielectric which is an insulator, are not free to move like electrons in a
conductor. Therefore electrons remain bound to the atom but there is a polarization of
negatively charged electrons and positively charged protons, as shown in the figure.
The presence of a positive charge on the right side of the dielectric atoms and a negative
charge on the left side of the dielectric atoms gives rise to an electric field which is from
right to left which weakens the electric field generated by the electric charge on the
conductor plate which is from left to right. So the electric field decreases not because the
electrical charge on the two plates/sheets of the conductor decreases but because the
electric field appears in the dielectric in the opposite direction. If the dielectric is
released, the electric field strength generated by the electrical charge on the two plates or
sheets of the conductor is back to normal.

If the electric field strength generated by the electrical

charge on both conductor plates is reduced, the electric potential between the two
conductor plates is also reduced because the electric field is directly proportional to the
electric potential as stated in the equation E = V / d, where E = electric field, V = electric
potential and d = distance between the two plates. If before there is an electric potential
dielectric is Vo then after the dielectric, the electric potential is reduced to V by factor
K. Mathematically, Vo = K V or V = Vo / K or K = Vo / V, where K = dielectric
constant. Vo> V so that K> 1.
Please note that the amount of the electric charge on both plates or sheets of conductors
does not change so that the amount of the final charge is equal to the amount of the
initial charge (Q = Qo). The change in capacitance of the capacitor is calculated in the
following way:

C = final capacitance, Co = initial capacitance, Q = final charge, Qo = initial charge, V =

final potential, Vo = initial potential, K = dielectric constant
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Based on the equation above, it is concluded that the initial capacitance (Co) is smaller
while the final capacitance (C) is greater. Capacitance increases by a factor of K, where
K is the dielectric constant. The value of the dielectric constant of each insulating
material varies. The dielectric constant (K) is the result of the ratio of the capacitance of
the capacitor when using a dielectric, to the capacitance of the capacitor when not using
a dielectric.
The dielectric increase capacitance because the distance between the two conductor
plates decreases
Another dielectric function is to reduce the distance (d) between the two conductor
plates so that the electric field (E) and the electric voltage (V) between the two plates or
sheets of conductors increase as stated by the equation E = V / d. If the electric field and
the electric voltage between the two plates or sheets increase then the capacitance of the
capacitor increases.
If the capacitor in question is parallel, the capacitance is calculated using the following
formula:

Based on the two formulas above, it can be

concluded that the capacitance (C) of the parallel plate capacitors can be enlarged by
reducing the distance between the two plates or conductor sheets (d).
The dielectric increase capacitance because the capacitance of the capacitor increases
The dielectric is made of insulating material which, if it is in a very strong electric field,
will be damaged. Dielectric damage occurs when the electric field is so strong that it can
move electrons off the atom, then the electrons hit electrons on other atoms so that the
flow of electrons in the dielectric occurs. In other words, dielectric damage causes the
dielectric which is an electric insulator to turn into an electric conductor.
In order to avoid damage, every dielectric made from a certain insulating material has a
maximum electric field value that can be held, called dielectric strength. The dielectric
strength of the insulating material is greater than the dielectric strength of the air and
each insulating material has a different dielectric strength, some are small and some are
large. So if a dielectric that has a large dielectric strength is used, the electric field that
can be held is greater and the voltage that can be held is also greater. If the electric field
and the electric voltage generated by the two plates or sheets of the conductor are
greater, the greater the amount of electric charge that can be accommodated by the
conductor plate. The more charge that is inside the conductor plate, the greater the
capacitance of the capacitor.
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