Observation of electric polarization continuity in graphite

Abstract

Electric polarization (dielectric) continuity refers to the continuity of the dipole-dipole interaction in an electric dipole array. This work introduces the concept of polarization continuity and discovers that the polarization continuity decreases upon bending, as shown by the decrease of the electret voltage upon bending, with graphite as the material. The voltage is decreased by ≤ 41% by bending the material, due to the reduction in the dipole-dipole interaction and the decrease in the degree of carrier-atom interaction at the bend. This work also discovers that the voltage scales by series connection, with the voltage doubled when two essentially identical unbent specimens are connected in series without connection bending, but the series voltage is approximately halved when the connection is bent. This is shown by comparing a silver-paint butt-joint unbent series connection and a silver-paint-attached aluminum-foil bent series connection. The former gives voltage essentially equal to the sum of the voltages of the two disconnected unbent specimens, but the latter gives voltage below the sum by 52%. The electric field does not change upon series connection, as expected. The voltage causes current to pass through a series load resistance according to Ohm's Law. The voltage changes sign upon polarity reversal, with the magnitude slightly smaller after the reversal.