THE DISCONTINUITY IN THE DIELECTRIC CONSTANT OF LIQUIDS AND THEIR SATURATED VAPORS AT THE CRITICAL TEMPERATURE

Abstract

A dielectric cell, which is specially adapted to a study of the dielectric constants of liquid and gas over a large temperature range, including the critical temperature region, is described. The dielectric constants of methyl ether (liquid and saturated vapor) and propylene (liquid and saturated vapor), from room temperature to eight degrees above the critical temperatures, are given. The measurements show that the dielectric constants of liquid and gas are not identical at the critical temperature. These results are in agreement with previous work carried out in this laboratory on the discontinuity in properties of the medium above and below the point of disappearance of the meniscus.