Question

What is the major factor for determining whether a medium is free space, lossless dielectric, loss of dielectric or good conductor?

• A. Attenuation constant
• B. Constitutive parameters (\(\sigma, \varepsilon_r, \mu\))
• C. Loss tangent
• D. Reflection coefficient

Hint:

The loss tangent determines whether a medium behaves as a dielectric or a conductor.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The loss tangent is given by:
\[ \text{Loss tangent} = \frac{\sigma}{\omega \varepsilon} \] where \( \sigma \) is the conductivity, \( \omega \) is the angular frequency, and \( \varepsilon \) is the permittivity.
- If Loss Tangent \( \approx 0 \), the material is a lossless dielectric.
- If Loss Tangent is moderate, it represents a lossy dielectric.
- If Loss Tangent is very high, the material is a good conductor.
Thus, the Loss Tangent determines whether a medium behaves as free space, a dielectric, or a conductor.