Dielectrics are materials that are poor conductors of electricity and contain no free electrons, allowing them to be polarized when an electric field is applied. There are two types of dielectrics: polar dielectrics, which have a permanent separation of positive and negative charges even without an external field, and non-polar dielectrics, where the charges coincide and there is no permanent dipole moment. Examples of polar dielectrics include HCl, H2O, and O2, while examples of non-polar dielectrics include H2, CO2, and O2.