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permittivité du vide

English translation: vacuum permittivity


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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
United Kingdom
Local time: 22:43
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: 23:43
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +3permittivity of free space
chris collister
4 +3vacuum permittivity
kashew
Summary of reference entries provided
permittivité absolue du videGabrielle Leyden

  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 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: 23:43
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Attila Piróth
10 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Tony M: Absolutely!
3 hrs
  -> Merci, Tony!
agree  Michael Watson: agree, exactly what my Penguin Dictionary of Physics (3rd Ed.) calls it. [Also says its sometimes called the Electric Constant.]
12 hrs
  -> Thanks
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6 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
vacuum permittivity


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

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 9 mins (2009-05-06 16:43:12 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 hrs (2009-05-06 19:44:09 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Seems the most concise formulation, especially in the formula context as given.

kashew
France
Local time: 23:43
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 20
Grading comment
Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nils Andersson: Yup. Except, I would probably write "permittivity of vacuum", somewhat depending on context.
15 mins
agree  Zareh Darakjian Ph.D.: with Nils.
21 mins
neutral  chris collister: I wasn't aware that ISO had decided to call it vacuum permittivity, although I doubt it was called that when I did my first degree. The last line of your ref. is incorrect, btw.
25 mins
  -> "Trust is a must" - except when quoting!
neutral  Gabrielle Leyden: see GDT reference ("electric constant")
4 hrs
agree  Trinh Do: Definitely!
15 hrs
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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: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this reference comment (and responses from the reference poster)
agree  lisandroluppo
2 mins
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