The Variation of the Complex Dielectric Constant with Frequency

The locus of the complex dielectric constant for the dispersion region of a polar dielectric is found in the ``complex dielectric constant plane'' following the equation of Onsager (1936), and is compared with the approximate solution of Cole (1938). The curve is plotted for the polar liquids, water, ethyl alcohol, and tertiary butyl alcohol, and compared with the curve deduced from Debye's equation. Calculations are made of the values of the relaxation times. The values of the molecular volume deduced from the Debye expression for the relaxation time are compared with those deduced from the van der Waals b coefficient.