Objective: Determining the relative permittivity of various materials
Any insulating or poorly conducting material which lacks free charge carriers can act as a dielectric when an electric field passes through it. The material may be a gas, liquid or solid. The dielectric is polarised in the electric field. This polarisation can be induced (displacement) polarisation or orientational polarisation. In the experiment the voltage applied across a plate capacitor is measured both with and without cardboard or a transparent acrylic plate inserted between the capacitor’s plates. The dielectric constants of these intervening materials are obtained from the ratio of the measured voltages.
![Experiment: Dielectrics in plate capacitors (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 8000786 [UE3010850-230], Electrostatics](/imagelibrary/UE3010850-230/UE3010850-230_01_Experiment-Dielectrics-in-plate-capacitors-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![DC Power Supply 20 V, 5 A (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 1003312 [U33020-230], Power Supplies](/thumblibrary/U33020-230/U33020-230_01_140_140_DC-Power-Supply-20-V-5-A-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Set of 15 Safety Experiment Leads, 75 cm, 1002843 [U138021], Circuits](/thumblibrary/U138021/U138021_01_140_140_Set-of-15-Safety-Experiment-Leads-75-cm.jpg)
![Pocket Measuring Tape, 2 m, 1002603 [U10073], Measurement of Length](/thumblibrary/U10073/U10073_01_140_140_Pocket-Measuring-Tape-2-m.jpg)
![Set of 15 Experiment Leads, 75 cm 2.5 mm², 1002841 [U13801], Circuits](/thumblibrary/U13801/U13801_01_140_140_Set-of-15-Experiment-Leads-75-cm-25-mm.jpg)
![Pair of Safety Experiment Leads, 75 cm, blue, red, 1017718 [U13816], Experiment Leads and Cables](/thumblibrary/U13816/U13816_01_140_140_Pair-of-Safety-Experiment-Leads-75-cm-blue-red.jpg)
![Plate Capacitor D, 1006798 [U8492355], Electrostatics](/thumblibrary/U8492355/U8492355_01_140_140_Plate-Capacitor-D.jpg)
![Analogue Multimeter ESCOLA 100, 1013527 [U8557380], Hand-held Analog Measuring Instruments](/thumblibrary/U8557380/U8557380_01_140_140_Analogue-Multimeter-ESCOLA-100.jpg)
![Electric Field Meter (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 1021405 [U8557820-230], Electrostatics](/thumblibrary/U8557820-230/U8557820-230_01_140_140_Electric-Field-Meter-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Universal Clamp, 1002830 [U13255], Clamps](/thumblibrary/U13255/U13255_01_140_140_Universal-Clamp.jpg)
![Tripod Stand 150 mm, 1002835 [U13270], Bases](/thumblibrary/U13270/U13270_01_140_140_Tripod-Stand-150-mm.jpg)
![Set of 15 Experiment Leads, 75 cm 1 mm², 1002840 [U13800], Circuits](/thumblibrary/U13800/U13800_01_140_140_Set-of-15-Experiment-Leads-75-cm-1-mm.jpg)
![Plexiglas Plate, 1000880 [U8476371], Electrostatics](/thumblibrary/U8476371/U8476371_01_140_140_Plexiglas-Plate.jpg)
![Cardboard Plate, 1000936 [U8492341], Electrostatics](/thumblibrary/U8492341/U8492341_01_140_140_Cardboard-Plate.jpg)
![Function Generator FG 100 (230 V, 50/60 Hz), 1009957 [U8533600-230], Function Generators](/thumblibrary/U8533600-230/U8533600-230_01_140_140_Function-Generator-FG-100-230-V-5060-Hz.jpg)
![Analogue Multimeter ESCOLA 30, 1013526 [U8557330], Hand-held Analog Measuring Instruments](/thumblibrary/U8557330/U8557330_01_140_140_Analogue-Multimeter-ESCOLA-30.jpg)
![Digital Multimeter P3340, 1002785 [U118091], Hand-held Digital Measuring Instruments](/thumblibrary/U118091/U118091_01_140_140_Digital-Multimeter-P3340.jpg)
![Digital Oscilloscope, 2x30 MHz, 1020910 [U11834], Oscilloscopes](/thumblibrary/U11834/U11834_01_140_140_Digital-Oscilloscope-2x30-MHz.jpg)
![Barrel Foot, 1 kg, 1002834 [U13265], Bases](/thumblibrary/U13265/U13265_01_140_140_Barrel-Foot-1-kg.jpg)
![Double-Pole Double Throw Switch, 1018439 [U8495901], Circuits](/thumblibrary/U8495901/U8495901_01_140_140_Double-Pole-Double-Throw-Switch.jpg)