This is John Mallinckrodt's opinion. John Mallinckrodt is the Editor
of Am. J. Phys.. Professor Griffiths wrote that the polarization
energy of a dielectric is the spring energy associated with polarizing
each molecule ("Introduction to Electrodynamics," 1989, p. 187). But a
simple calculation shows "spring energy" is zero. In reality, electric
energy of a dielectric exceeds electric energy of an empty space with
the same macroscopic electric field because of a non-uniformity of the
real electric field in the dielectric; the electric field does not
stretch the molecules (R. Khrapko, www.sciprint.org,
"Polarization_energy", or
www.mai.ru/projects/mai_works/articles/num23/article6/auther.htm).
J. Mallinckrodt rejected my paper "Polarization energy of a
dielectric" because "the manuscript questions a well-established
result". Unfortunately, Professor Griffiths keeps silence. However,
silence is a common style of physicists (see
http://groups.google.com/group/sci.physics.electromag/browse_frm/thread/ad847c6c4e23cb83/490242a51f1fcd97?hl=en&lnk=gst&q=khrapko#490242a51f1fcd97)
Radi Khrapko
