The relative permittivity of a certain polymer decreases gradually as its temperature…
PHYSICS · Single correct · CBSE · Physics · Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance · Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance
Problem
The relative permittivity of a certain polymer decreases gradually as its temperature rises. If two fixed point charges are embedded in the polymer and the temperature is slowly increased, how does the magnitude of the electrostatic force between the charges change?
(a) It decreases because the dipoles induced in the polymer become stronger as temperature rises, further cancelling the field.
(b) It remains unchanged since Coulomb’s law contains only the vacuum constant ε0, which does not depend on temperature.
(c) It increases because the material’s ability to screen the charges becomes weaker.
(d) It decreases roughly as 1/T because the thermal motion of charges at higher temperature weakens the electrostatic attraction or repulsion.