A variable capacitor and method of varying capacitance in which two pressurally engaged plates having electrically conductive patterns on facing surfaces are separated by a low friction polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon.TM.) dielectric disk so that the plates may be rotated relative to one another to vary capacitance. Each of the facing surfaces of the plates include two spaced semicircular patterns, one that is electrically connected to the capacitor and one that is not, for maintaining the separation of the plates from the disk. The dielectric disk may be ten to twenty times thicker than the semicircular patterns.