ABSTRACT
When a dielectric is placed between charged plates, the capacitance of the system increases. The mechanism by which a dielectric increases capacitance is called polarization. In an electric field the electrons and atomic nuclei of the dielectric material experience forces in opposite directions. Since the electrons in an insulator cannot flow, each atom becomes a tiny dipole (i.e. an arrangement of two electric charges of opposite polarity) with positive and negative charges slightly separated, i.e. the material becomes polarized.
