Dielectric breakdown occurs when an insulator becomes a conductor under high voltage.

Dielectric breakdown occurs when an insulator becomes a conductor under high voltage.

• A. A conductor stops conducting
• B. A dielectric stores charge
• C. A conductor becomes an insulator
• D. The insulator becomes a conductor under high voltage

Answer: (D)

Dielectric breakdown is about an insulating material losing its insulating property when the electric field becomes too strong. Under high voltage, the electric field inside the dielectric can energize electrons enough to ionize atoms and create a conducting path. That makes the insulator behave like a conductor, at least briefly, which is precisely what breakdown describes. It’s not about a conductor stopping conduction, nor about a dielectric merely storing charge, nor about a conductor becoming an insulator.

Dielectric breakdown is about an insulating material losing its insulating property when the electric field becomes too strong. Under high voltage, the electric field inside the dielectric can energize electrons enough to ionize atoms and create a conducting path. That makes the insulator behave like a conductor, at least briefly, which is precisely what breakdown describes. It’s not about a conductor stopping conduction, nor about a dielectric merely storing charge, nor about a conductor becoming an insulator.