When a non-conductive dielectric material is placed in a uniform electric field, which of the following statements accurately describes the effect on the electric field lines and the resulting force between two point charges within the dielectric?

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When a non‑conductive dielectric is inserted into a uniform electric field, the field lines become less dense inside the material because the polarization of the dielectric creates an opposing field. This reduces the magnitude of the electric field inside the dielectric by a factor of the relative permittivity, εr. As a result, the electrostatic force between two point charges placed inside the dielectric is also reduced by the same factor, since force ∝ electric field. For example, if two equal charges are placed in a dielectric with εr = 2, the force between them is only half of what it would be in free space. Thus, the dielectric screens the charges and weakens their mutual attraction or repulsion.

When a non-conductive dielectric material is placed in a uniform electric field, which of the following statements accurately describes the effect on the electric field lines and the resulting force between two point charges within the dielectric?

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