Past exam of the MPhil in micro- and nanotechnology enterprise course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / Paper 2 / Section A(iii) / 19 / ii / a / Solution

For ordinary lossless dielectrics with positive real permittivities,The denominator is positive, soThe particle is more polarizable than the displaced medium and is driven towards the region where its polarization lowers the field-plus-source energy most effectively. If the two permittivities match, this ideal dipole contrast vanishes.