Types of Permittivity

There are two types of permittivity:

  • Permittivity of Free Space
  • Relative Permittivity

Let’s dicuss these types as below:

Permittivity of Free Space (ε)

The resistivity offered by the free space is the lowest and is the fundamental constant, it is referred as permittivity of free space and is denoted by ε₀. It has a value of 8.85✕ 10-12 Farad/meter.

Relative Permittivity (εr)

Dielectric material also shows permittivity, it is represented as the ratio of absolute permittivity of the medium or material and the permittivity of free space, known as relative permittivity. Thus relative permittivity is a dimensionless quantity, represented as εr.

Formula for Relative Permittivity (εr) is given as:

εr = ε/ε

Where,

  • εr is the relative permittivity of the material,
  • ε is the absolute permittivity of the material, and
  • ε is the permittivity of the free space.

Permittivity and Permeability

Permittivity and Permeability are two fundamental properties of materials that play a crucial role in the behavior of electromagnetic waves and related fields. Permittivity, represented by the symbol ε (epsilon), describes a material’s ability to permit the electric field to pass through it. Permittivity is a measure of how easily electric charges can be separated within the material in response to an applied electric field. On the other hand, Permeability, denoted as μ (mu), characterizes a material’s ability to allow magnetic fields to pass through it. Permeability represents how readily magnetic flux can propagate within the material when subjected to a magnetic field.

Together, Permittivity and Permeability determine the speed at which electromagnetic waves, such as light and radio waves, travel through a given medium. This article provides a brief description of both Permittivity and Permeability, other than that we will also discuss the key differences between Permittivity and Permeability.

Table of Content

  • What is Permittivity?
  • Types of Permittivity
  • What is Permeability?
  • Types of Permeability
  • Difference between Permittivity and Permeability

Similar Reads

What is Permittivity?

Permittivity as the name suggests, must be something related to giving permission. Permittivity is the property of a matter or a medium to permit its own field to decrease the electrostatic force/electronic interaction between two charges. Permittivity can also be defined as the measure of electric polarizability of a dielectric, polarization of material causes induction of charges which in turn creates electric fields within the material, thus opposing the electricity between the original charged particles and also storing energy at the same time....

Types of Permittivity

There are two types of permittivity:...

What is Permeability?

Permeability as the name suggests refers to easy of passing through. Permeability is the property of the matter which measure how easily it is allowing external magnetic field to pass through it or how much it gets magnetized when place in an external magnetic field. When an object in placed in an external magnetic field or when magnetic lines of forces are passed through a medium the dipoles in the medium get oriented in the material so as to facilitate the passage of the magnetic flux, this is called permeability. The high the permeability of the material the more magnetization it will show in presence of external magnetic field....

Types of Permeability

Permeability can be categorised as:...

Difference between Permittivity and Permeability

The Key differences between Permittivity and Permeability are listed in the following table:...

Sample Questions on Permittivity and Permeability

Question 1: Establish a relation between electrostatic force between two charge particle in free space to that of electrostatic force between two charge particles in a medium with relative permittivity given to be εᵣ....

Practice Problems on Permittivity and Permeability

Problem 1: Calculate the relative permittivity of a material with a permittivity of 6.4 x 10⁻¹² C²/N·m²....

Permittivity and Permeability: FAQs

1. Define Permittivity....