Re: potential difference reduced by dielectrics

["Daniel L. MacIsaac" <Dan.MacIsaac@Nau.Edu>]

> I now prefer to explain the reduction of delta-V directly from the locations of the  
> dipole charges, rather than discussing electric fields between the plates. Once  
> it's clear that the potential must be lower, then so must the average electric field  
> be lower as well.
>
> Any comments?
> --
>
> Mike       
>
> ===============================================================
> Mike Moloney                                           moloney@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
For me the defining moment came when I watched a candle flame placed between
two vertical plates attached to a VanDeGraaf.  I see the flame twist over and
I see how potential energy is stored by the distortion of a macroscopic
dipole-like object; extending to microscopic media is then like extending 
Hooke's Law to the "stuff" in a tabletop for N3 phenomena.

Dan M

Dan MacIsaac, Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Northern AZ Univ
danmac@nau.edu  http://www.phy.nau.edu/~danmac/homepage.html