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DIELECTRICS: AN
ATOMIC VIEW
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• We now seek to understand, in atomic terms, what happens
when we place a dielectric in an electric field.
• There are two possibilities. The molecules of some dielectrics,
like water, have permanent electric dipole moments.
• In such materials (called polar dielectrics) the electric dipole
moments p tend to align themselves with an external electric
field, as in Fig. 12.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• Because the molecules are in constant thermal agitation, the
degree of alignment is not complete but increases as the applied
electric held increases or as the temperature decreases. In the
absence of an applied field, the dipoles are randomly oriented.
• In nonpolar dielectrics, the molecules do not have permanent
electric dipole moments but can acquire them by induction
when placed in an electric field.
• The external electric field tends to separate the negative and the
positive charge in the atom or molecule.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• This energy is stored as electric potential energy in the system,
and it can be recovered as kinetic energy if the charges are
allowed to come together again.
• Similarly, a charged capacitor has stored in it an electrical
potential energy U equal to the work W done by the external
agent as the capacitor is charged.
• This energy can be recovered if the capacitor is allowed to
discharge.
• This induced electric dipole moment is present only when the
electric field is present.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• It is proportional to the electric field (for normal field
strengths) and is created already lined up with the electric
field.
• Polar dielectrics can also acquire induced electric dipole
moments in external fields.
• Let us use a parallel-plate capacitor, carrying a fixed
charge q and not connected to a battery, to provide a
uniform external electric field Eo into which we place a
dielectric slab (Fig. 13a).
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• The overall effect of alignment and induction is to
separate the center of positive charge of the entire slab
slightly from the center of negative charge.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• Although the slab as a whole remains electrically neutral,
it becomes polarized, as Fig. 13b suggests.
• The net effect is a buildup of positive charge on the right
face of the slab and negative charge on the left face; within
the slab no excess charge appears in any given volume
element.
• Since the slab as a whole remains neutral, the positive
induced surface charge must be equal in magnitude to the
negative induced surface charge.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• Note that in this process electrons in the dielectric are
displaced from their equilibrium positions by distances
that are considerably less than an atomic diameter.
• There is no transfer of charge over macroscopic distances
such as occurs when a current is set up in a conductor.
• Figure 13c shows that the induced surface charges always
appear in such a way that the electric field E' set up by
them opposes the external electric field Eo.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• The resultant field E in the dielectric is the vector sum of Eo
and E'. It points in the same direction as Eo but is smaller.
• If we place a dielectric in an electric field, induced surface
charges appear which tend to weaken the original field
within the dielectric.
• This weakening of the electric field reveals itself in Fig. 11
as a reduction in potential difference between the plates of a
charged isolated capacitor when a dielectric is introduced
between the plates.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• The relation V= Ed for a parallel-plate capacitor holds
whether or not dielectric is present and shows that the
reduction in V described in Fig. 11 is directly connected to
the reduction in E described in Fig. 13.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• Both E and V are reduced by the factor ke. (Note that this
holds only when the battery is no longer connected. If the
battery remained connected, V would be constant but g would
increase. The increased electric field from this additional
charge on the capacitor would be opposed by the field E' in
the dielectric, and the result would be a constant E.)
• Induced charge is the explanation of the attraction to a
charged rod of uncharged bits of nonconducting material such
as paper.
• Figure 14 shows a bit of paper in the field of a charged rod.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• Figure 14 shows a bit of paper in the field of a charged rod.
• Surface charges appear on the paper as shown.
Dielectrics: An Atomic View
• The negatively charged end of the paper is pulled toward the
rod, and the positively charged end is repelled.
• These two forces do not have the same magnitude because
the negative end, being closer to the rod, is in a stronger field
and experiences a stronger force. The net effect is an
attraction.
• If a dielectric object is placed in a uniform electric field,
induced surface charges appear but the object experiences no
net force.
