Where does the energy go to when you insert a dialectric to a capatitor?

Question

When you insert a dielectric between the plates of a capacitor, the energy of the capacitor decreases.

1). Where does the energy go to to create the difference from before?

2). Also, what would happen to the energy if the capacitor remained connected to the battery and the dielectric was inserted?

Answer 1

This sounds like a homework problem. I don't answer those, but since it's an interesting homework problem, I'll give you a hint. What was Obiwan's postmortem reminder?

Answer 2

Dielectrics usually increase capacitance and hence stored energy, but key is (as you point out) if voltage is connected or not.
When you insert dielectric, work is done to line up the dielectric dipoles with electric field. Short answer is energy goes into the dielectric to line up the dipoles with the external field.
If battery is connected, battery does work and INCREASES the energy stored in the capacitor.

Answer 3

I thought there was always a dielectric there, even when there is nothing there is air. So wouldn't adding something just be putting a different dielectric there which may require a greater elec charge to create the difference to store the energy. . . or something like that.

Answer 4

it goes to the Gamma quadrant and is returned vis a worm hole in the space time continuum to the warp core of the enterprise... they have to watch out for those inverse tachyon beams as well though