Electric displacement is permittivity times electric field

In a linear, homogeneous, isotropic dielectric the electric displacement is linearly proportional to the electric field strength, with the constant of proprortionality being the permittivity of the medium.

Notes:

1. If the medium is anisotropic, the relation between electric displacement and electric field is similar, but permittivity is now a tensor and not a scalar.

2. In a nonhomogeneous medium, permittivity is a function of position inside the medium.

3. In a nonlinear medium, permittivity is a function of the electric field and has a time-dependent response.

4. This is a constitutive equation describing a model of a material’s response to the electric field.

Conditions:

1. The medium is linear, homogeneous, and isotropic.

Links:

1. Wikipedia.

electric_displacement

electric_displacement in the medium.

Symbol:

D

Latex:

\(D\)

Dimension:

charge/area

absolute_permittivity

absolute_permittivity of the medium.

Symbol:

epsilon

Latex:

\(\varepsilon\)

Dimension:

capacitance/length

electric_field_strength

electric_field_strength in the medium.

Symbol:

E

Latex:

\(E\)

Dimension:

voltage/length

law

D = epsilon * E

Latex:

\[D = \varepsilon E\]