Answer to Question #88863 in Electricity and Magnetism for Shivam Nishad

Question

Explain the mechanism of polarisation in
dielectrics made up of non-polar molecules and
dielectrics made up of polar molecules.

Answer 1

The polar molecule is a molecule having a permanent electric dipole moment. They are however chaotically oriented in the material in the absence of electric field. When the electric field is introduced the molecules in the material turn to align in the direction of the field, thus polarizing the material.

In the material composed of non polar molecules the dipole moments are induced by the field on every molecule. In general every molecule consists of positively charged atomic nuclei and electron cloud. This electron cloud is disturbed and shifted by electric field thus forming a dipole and polarizing the material. When the field is removed the moment vanishes.