Debye

This article deals with the physical unit Debye. For the Dutch physicist and chemist it is named after, see Peter Debye ; for the asteroid see (30852) Debye .

Physical unit
Unit name	Debye
Unit symbol	${\displaystyle \mathrm {D} }$
Physical quantity (s)	Electric dipole moment
dimension	${\displaystyle {\mathsf {M^{1/2}L^{5/2}T^{-1}}}}$
system	Electrostatic CGS unit system , Gaussian CGS unit system
In CGS units	${\displaystyle \mathrm {1\,{Debye}=10^{-18}\;Fr\cdot cm} }$
Named after	Peter Debye
Derived from	Franklin (unit) , centimeter

As Debye [ dəbɛi̯ə ] ( unit symbol  D ; by Peter Debye , the explorer of the dipole phenomena) refers to the CGS unit of the electric dipole moment in the gaussian system of units and in the electrostatic unit system (ESU) .

This unit is based on the CGS units Franklin (Fr) and Centimeter (cm) :

${\displaystyle {\begin{aligned}1\ {\rm {Debye}}&=10^{-18}\ {\rm {Fr\cdot cm}}\\&=10^{-10}\ {\rm {{Fr}\cdot \mathrm {\AA} }}\end{aligned}}}$

with for the Ångström . ${\displaystyle {\rm {\mathrm {\AA} }}}$

For conversion into the SI unit for the electric dipole moment ( Coulomb  ·  meters , Coulombmeter) applies:

${\displaystyle 1\ {\rm {Debye\sim 3{,}33564\cdot 10^{-30}\ C\cdot m}}}$

Since the use of the coulomb meter leads to very small numerical values ​​on atomic scales, the Debye is usually used.

In addition, the following approximation applies:

${\displaystyle 1\ {\rm {Debye\approx 0{,}2082\ e\cdot \mathrm {\AA} }}}$

With

• ${\displaystyle {\rm {e}}}$for the elementary charge .

The Debye is not a legal unit in metrology in Germany .