The dielectric constant, also known as the relative permittivity, is a measure of a material's ability to store electrical energy in an electric field. It is defined as the ratio of the capacitance of a capacitor filled with the dielectric material to the capacitance of the same capacitor in a vacuum.
Mathematically, the dielectric constant (ε_r) can be expressed as:
\[
\epsilon_r = \frac{\epsilon}{\epsilon_0}
\]
where:
- \( \epsilon \) is the permittivity of the dielectric material,
- \( \epsilon_0 \) is the permittivity of free space (vacuum).
A higher dielectric constant indicates that the material can store more electrical energy compared to a vacuum. This property is crucial in applications such as capacitors, insulators, and various electronic devices, where it affects how the material behaves in electric fields.