Dielectric Constant

The dielectric constant (symbol: ε) of a solvent is a measure of its polarity. The higher the dielectric constant of a solvent, the more polar it is.

eg:

The dipole moment of water is higher than that of methanol; water is more polar than methanol. One practical consequence is a covalent solute dissociates into ions to a greater extent in water than in methanol.

equilibrium constant for dissociation of MX : K_dis

Contributors and Attributions

• Gamini Gunawardena from the OChemPal site (Utah Valley University)