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permittivité du vide

English translation: vacuum permittivity

16:33 May 6, 2009

French to English translations [PRO]
Science - Physics

French term or phrase: permittivité du vide

I am having difficulty in finding a definite English equivalant to this. I understand from French parallel texts that it is a theory but what is the correct English term? Please help - this is definitely not my field of expertise!!

Here is some the context of the term:
"Il faut savoir que la permittivité du vide (ɛ0) × perméabilité du vide (µ0) × C2 = 1 d’où M02/(µ0×ɛ0)2 = M2."

Kate Larabie KudoZ activity Questions: 39 (2 open) (1 without valid answers) Answers: 0 Congo
Local time: 16:37

English translation:vacuum permittivity

Explanation:
The parameter ε0 (commonly called the vacuum permittivity, but referred to by international Standards Organizations as the electric constant )

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Note added at 9 mins (2009-05-06 16:43:12 GMT)
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Citizendium:
Historically, the physical constant ε0 has had different names. One of these was dielectric constant of vacuum.[2] Although still in use,[3] "dielectric constant" is now deemed obsolete.[4][5] In the 1987 IUPAP Red book this constant was called permittivity of vacuum.[6] Currently the nomenclature is electric constant.[1][7] The vacuum permittivity ε = εr ε0 is equal to the electric constant ε0.

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Note added at 3 hrs (2009-05-06 19:44:09 GMT)
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Seems the most concise formulation, especially in the formula context as given.

Selected response from:

kashew
France
Local time: 16:37

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +3

permittivity of free space

chris collister

4 +3

vacuum permittivity

kashew

Summary of reference entries provided
permittivité absolue du vide	Gabrielle Leyden

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

permittivity of free space

Explanation:
c'est ça!

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Note added at 7 mins (2009-05-06 16:41:49 GMT)
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No, it's not a theory, but one of the fundamental constants of physics. In real materials, the relative permittivity is usually defined in terms of this invariant quantity (as a number greater than 1), but with the addition of an energy loss term also.

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Note added at 35 mins (2009-05-06 17:09:45 GMT)
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In the interests of correctly conveying the sense of the translation, I suppose you can call it any of these names. However, I have been designing capacitative devices for nearly 3 decades, and have always referred to epsilon0 as the permittivity of free space - more of a mouthful I agree, but quite current with physicists even today!

chris collister
France
Local time: 16:37
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

vacuum permittivity

kashew
France
Local time: 16:37
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

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Reference comments

8 mins peer agreement (net): +1

Reference: permittivité absolue du vide

Reference information:
See Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique, where "permittivité" in electricity is translated as "permittivity", and possibly take it from there. There's an entry for "electrical constant" with a sub-entry "permittivité absolue du vide" - I hope the reference below is the right one!

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Note added at 11 mins (2009-05-06 16:45:02 GMT)
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Whopps! The GDT gives "permittivité absolue du vide" as a synonym for "constante électrique" = electric (not electrical) constant (electricty, electromagnetism is the field), complete with formula.

Reference: http://www.granddictionnaire.com/btml/fra/r_motclef/index102...

Gabrielle Leyden
Belgium
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English