Polarisation in dielectrics, anyone?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the Clausius-Mossotti equation and its role in understanding polarization in dielectrics. The equation is significant as it relates the dielectric constant of a material to the polarizability of its constituent atoms, which can help deduce molecular structure. Users express difficulty in grasping the implications of the equation and seek clearer explanations. The polarizability is highlighted as a key atomic property that influences the overall dielectric behavior of a material. Clarifying these concepts is essential for a deeper understanding of dielectric polarization.
tessellations
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I have been studying polarization in dielectrics recently. I got stuck after coming to Claussius Mossoti equation. I can't understand it's importance. I read that it is used to determine molecular structure but how exactly?
I've just joined this forum, hope someone can help. :) TIA
P.S: Sorry for the typo in the heading.
 
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welcome to pf!

hi tessellations! welcome to pf! :smile:
tessellations said:
I got stuck after coming to Claussius Mossoti equation. … I read that it is used to determine molecular structure but how exactly?

hmm :rolleyes: … what distinguishes us from the snakes is our ablility to restrain our use of s's ! :wink:

the polarisability of one atom is the tensor which relates the local electric field to the dipole moment

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clausius–Mossotti_relation#Dielectric_Constant_.26_Polarizability" …
The polarizability is an atomic property, but the dielectric constant will depend on the manner in which the atoms are assembled to form a crystal.​

so if you know the dielectric constant, and the polarisability of the individual atoms, you can work backwards and find the molecular structure :smile:
 
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:rolleyes:
I'm still finding it hard to understand its implications.
Anyways, thanks for taking out time to answer me. I'd really appreciate if you or others could explain it in some other manner. :) Thanks!
 

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It may be shown from the equations of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell in the 1860’s, that the speed of light in the vacuum of free space is related to electric permittivity (ϵ) and magnetic permeability (μ) by the equation: c=1/√( μ ϵ ) . This value is a constant for the vacuum of free space and is independent of the motion of the observer. It was this fact, in part, that led Albert Einstein to Special Relativity.
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