This standard establishes uniform methods for testing ceramic capacitors, including basic environmental tests to determine resistance to deleterious effects of natural elements, and physical and electrical tests. The tests described herein have been prepared to serve several purposes.

a) To specify suitable conditions obtainable in the laboratory which give test results equivalent to the actual service conditions existing in the field, and to obtain reproducibility of the results of tests. The test methods described herein are not to be interpreted as an exact and conclusive representation of actual service operation in any one geographic location, since it is known that the only true test for operation in a specific location is an actual service test at that point;

b) To describe in one standard (1) all of the test methods applicable to ceramic capacitors described in EIA-198, (2) those newly-developed test methods that are feasible for use in several standards, and (3) the recognized extreme environments, particularly temperatures, barometric pressures etc., at which capacitors will be tested under some of the presently-standardized testing procedures. By so consolidating, these methods may be kept uniform and thus result in conservation of equipment, man-hours, and testing facilities. In achieving these objectives, it is necessary to make each of the general tests adaptable to a broad range of ceramic capacitors;

c) The test methods described herein for environmental, physical and electrical evaluation of electronic parts shall also apply, when suitable, to parts not covered by an approved specification or drawing.