Geophysical Techniques Lab Report:: Dielectric Permittivity

Geophysical Techniques
Lab Report: Dielectric Permittivity

I) Aim:
A) Calculate the dielectric permittivity of air
B) Calculate the dielectric permittivity of material
II) Theory:
Capacitor
A capacitor is a device which stores electric charge. Capacitors vary in
shape and size, but the basic configuration is two conductors carrying equal
but opposite charges. Capacitors have many important applications in
electronics like storing electric potential
energy, delaying voltage changes when
coupled with resistors.
In the uncharged state, the charge on either
one of the conductors in the capacitor is
zero. During the charging process, a charge
Q is moved from one conductor to the
other one, giving one conductor a charge
+Q, and the other one a charge−Q. A
potential difference ∆V is created, with the
positively charged conductor at a higher potential than the negatively
charged conductor. Note that whether charged or uncharged, the net charge
on the capacitor as a whole is zero.
The simplest example of a capacitor consists of two conducting plates of
area A, which are parallel to each other, and separated by a distance d.
Physically, capacitance (C) is a measure of the capacity of storing electric
charge for a given potential difference ∆V. The SI unit of capacitance is the
farad (F)
Polarization of Dielectric
If a material contains polar molecules, they will generally be in random

orientations when no electric field is applied. An applied electric field will
polarize the material by orienting the dipole moments of polar molecules.
This decreases the effective electric field between the plates and will
increase the capacitance of the parallel plate structure. The dielectric must be
a good electric insulator so as to minimize any DC leakage current through a
capacitor. The factor 𝜀 by which the effective field is decreased by the
polarization of the dielectric is called the dielectric constant of the material.
When a dielectric is placed between charged plates, the polarization of the

medium produces an electric field opposing the field of the charges on the
plate. The dielectric constant 𝜀 is defined to reflect the amount of reduction
of effective electric field. The permittivity is a characteristic of space, and
the relative permittivity or "dielectric constant" is a way to characterize the
reduction in effective field because of the polarization of the dielectric.
The capacitance of the parallel plate arrangement is increased by factor 𝜀ᵣ.
Relative permittivity - εᵣ - is the ratio of the permittivity of a substance to the
permittivity of free space or vacuum.
Derivation:
𝐴 𝐴
𝑄ₒ = 𝜀ₒ 𝑈𝑐 𝑄 = 𝜀ₒ 𝑈𝑐
𝑑 𝑑
Qₒ = Cₒ. Uc Q = Cₒ. Uc
A A
Cₒ = εₒ d C = εₒ d
𝜀 𝐶 𝑄
∴ 𝜀ᵣ = 𝜀ₒ
= 𝐶ₒ
= 𝑄ₒ
Where Qₒ= charge of the capacitor (vacuum)
Q= charge of the capacitor
𝜀ₒ= dielectric permittivity of vacuum
𝜀= dielectric permittivity of the material
A= area of the parallel plates
d= thickness between the two parallel plates
Uc= the voltage applied between the parallel plates
𝜀ᵣ = Relative dielectric constant (relative permittivity)
U= voltage read from the amplifier
III) Apparatus:
 Capacitor 218 nF (218×10⁻⁹ F)
 Parallel plate capacitors (A=0.0531m²)
 High voltage power supply
 Amplifier
 Connecting wires
 Dielectric material
IV) Procedure (method):

Part A: Calculation of ɛₒ by fixing Uc and varying d
1. Charge the parallel plate capacitor with Uc=1.5kv for some
seconds.
2. Discharge the capacitor by connecting it with the amplifier
containing the 218nF capacitor.
3. Read the voltage in the amplifier.(N.B: reset the amplifier
before any reading)
4. Vary the distance between the parallel plates and read the
corresponding values of the voltage in the amplifier.
5. Calculate the charge Q=C.U corresponding to each U.
6. Draw the graph for the variation of Q as a function of 1/d.
7. Calculate ɛₒ from the slope obtained.
Part B: Calculation of the dielectric constant of a given material ɛ:

1. Place the dielectric between the parallel plates and close the
distance between the plates (d=0.9 cm).
2. Vary Uc and read the respective U to calculate Q.
3. Draw the graph for the variation of q as a function of Uc.
4. Calculate ɛ from the slope obtained.
5. Calculate ɛᵣ.
V) Results and Calculations:
Part A:
D(×10⁻² m) 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
U(v) 8.66 4.86 4.22 3.32
Q(×10⁻⁹ C) 1887.88 1059.48 919.96 723.76
1/d(m⁻¹) 250 166.67 125 100
Q=C.U i.e Q=218×8.66=1887.88 nC

Q=218×4.86=1059.48 nC
Q=218×4.22=919.96 nC
Q=218×3.32=723.76 nC
Variation Q as a function of 1/d

2000 y = 7.2122x
1800
1600
1400
Q (10⁻⁹ C)
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
1/d (100 m⁻¹)
𝜀ₒ 𝐴 𝑈𝑐
𝑄=
𝑑
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = 𝜀ₒ𝐴𝑈𝑐 = 7.212 × 10−11𝐶. 𝑚
slope 7.212×10−11
∴ εₒ = AUc
= 0.0513×1.5×103 = 9.37 × 10−13C. m−1 .v −1
ɛₒ= 9.37 × 10−13C.m−1 .v −1
Part B:
Uc(×10ᶟ v) 0.5 1 1.5 2
U (v) 0.28 1.46 1.56 1.78
Q(×10⁻⁹ C) 61.04 318.28 340.08 388.04
Q=C.U i.e Q=218×0.28 = 61.04 nC
Q=218×1.46 = 318.28 nC
Q=218×1.56 = 340.08 nC
Q=218×1.78 = 388.04 nC
Variation of Q as a function of Uc
500 y = 218x
450
400
350
Q (10⁻⁹ C)
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Uc (10ᶟ v
𝜀 𝐴 𝑈𝑐
𝑄=
𝑑
𝜀𝐴
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = = 218 × 10−12𝐶. 𝑚
𝑑
−12
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 × 𝑑 218 × 10 × 0.9 × 10−2
∴ 𝜀= = = 3.824 × 10−11𝐶. 𝑚−1
𝐴 0.0513
𝜀 = 3.824 × 10−11𝐶. 𝑚−1

𝜀 3.824×10 −11
𝜀ᵣ = = = 40.8
𝜀ₒ 9.37×10 −13
𝜀ᵣ = 40.8

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Geophysical Techniques

Lab Report: Dielectric Permittivity

If a material contains polar molecules, they will generally be in random

When a dielectric is placed between charged plates, the polarization of the

IV) Procedure (method):

Part B: Calculation of the dielectric constant of a given material ɛ:

Q=C.U i.e Q=218×8.66=1887.88 nC

Variation Q as a function of 1/d

ɛₒ= 9.37 × 10−13C.m−1 .v −1

𝜀 = 3.824 × 10−11𝐶. 𝑚−1

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