Cov khoom raug muab tshem tawm ntawm cov khoom ua hauj lwm los ntawm ib qho kev ceev nrawm sai nrawm ntawm ob lub electrodes, sib cais los ntawm ib lub dielectric kua thiab raug rau hluav taws xob hluav taws xob. Ib qho ntawm cov electrodes hu ua lub cuab tam-electrode, los sis tsuas yog "cuab tam" lossis "electrode," thaum lwm qhov hu ua workpiece-electrode, los yog "work piece". Tus txheej txheem nyob ntawm lub cuab tam thiab kev ua hauj lwm ib qho tsis ua kev sib cuag.
Thaum lub qhov hluav taws xob ntawm qhov ob lub electrodes muaj zog, qhov siv ntawm qhov hluav taws xob hauv qhov ntim nruab nrab ntawm cov electrodes ua qhov siab tshaj ntawm lub dielectric (tsawg kawg hauv qee qhov chaw), uas lov, cia tam sim no ntws ntawm ob lub electrodes . Cov phenomenon no yog tib yam li cov kev sib hloov ntawm lub capacitor (condenser) (saib tseem muaj hluav taws xob). Vim li ntawd, cov khoom raug tshem tawm ntawm cov electrodes. Thaum twg tam sim no nres (los yog tso tseg, nyob ntawm seb hom generator), cov kua tshiab dielectric feem ntau yog xa mus rau hauv qhov ntim nruab nrab ntawm electrode, enabling cov khoom tawg (khib nyiab) yuav tsum tau nqa tseg thiab cov cuab yeej ntawm cov dielectric insulating rov qab los. Muab cov kua ntxiv dielectric tshiab rau hauv qhov ntim nruab nrab ntawm electrode yog nquag xa mus ua "ntxuav." Tsis tas li ntawd, tom qab lub sij hawm tam sim no, qhov sib txawv ntawm qhov peev xwm ntawm lub electrodes yog rov qab mus rau dab tsi nws ua ntej qhov kev rhuav tshem, yog li ntawd ib qho kev hloov tshiab kua dielectric tuaj yeem tshwm sim tau.