The relationship of molecular structure to the properties of solid dielectrics

For centuries, matter has been understood by man largely in terms of its gross, macroscopic properties. To the electrical engineer this has usually meant such properties as resistivity, permeability, permittivity, and dielectric strength. Engineering design calculations have traditionally been based on tables of experimentally-derived “average” values of such properties. The limitations of the materials described in such tables have, in a major way, delineated the frontiers of engineering achievement to date.