Difference between revisions of "Debye Length"
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where ''I'' is the ionic strength of the electrolyte, ε<sub>0</sub> is the permittivity of free space, ε<sub>r</sub> is the dielectric constant, ''k'' is the Boltzmann constant, ''T'' is the absolute temperature in kelvins, ''N<sub>A</sub>'' is Avogadro's number, and ''e'' is the elementary charge. | where ''I'' is the ionic strength of the electrolyte, ε<sub>0</sub> is the permittivity of free space, ε<sub>r</sub> is the dielectric constant, ''k'' is the Boltzmann constant, ''T'' is the absolute temperature in kelvins, ''N<sub>A</sub>'' is Avogadro's number, and ''e'' is the elementary charge. | ||
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| + | For more information on Peter Debye's original acoustic experiments, go to [http://soft-matter.seas.harvard.edu/index.php/Electokinetics#Electroacoutic_measurements Electokinetics: Electroacoutic measurements]. | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
Revision as of 22:47, 27 November 2009
Definition
The Debye length (<math>\kappa ^{-1}</math>), or Debye screening length, is the length scale over which charge carriers screen-out electric fields. One version of this equation when describing this length in a colloidal dispersion (or electrolyte solution) is:
<math> \kappa^{-1} = \sqrt{\frac{\varepsilon_0 \varepsilon_r k T}{2 N_A e^2 I}}</math>
where I is the ionic strength of the electrolyte, ε0 is the permittivity of free space, εr is the dielectric constant, k is the Boltzmann constant, T is the absolute temperature in kelvins, NA is Avogadro's number, and e is the elementary charge.
For more information on Peter Debye's original acoustic experiments, go to Electokinetics: Electroacoutic measurements.
References
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debye_length#Debye_length_in_an_electrolyte
- R. Jones, "Soft Condensed Matter," Oxford University Press Inc., New York (2002).
