electric displacement

American  

noun

Electricity.

1. the part of the electric field that is determined solely by free charges, without reference to the dielectric properties of the surrounding medium: measured in coulombs per square meter. D

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electric displacement British  

noun

1. Also called: electric flux density.   D.  physics the electric flux density when an electric field exists in free space into which a dielectric is introduced

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electric displacement Scientific  

1. See electric flux density

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Etymology

Origin of electric displacement

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Lines of force cannot pass through the material of a conductor without producing electric displacement.

From Heroes of Science: Physicists by Garnett, William

A second fundamental conception of Maxwell was that the electric displacement whilst it is changing is in effect an electric current, and creates, therefore, magnetic force.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 2 "Ehud" to "Electroscope" by Various

That electromotive force acting on a dielectric produces what we call electric displacement.

From The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science by Hammerton, John Alexander, Sir

And he goes on to say that "when we have an electromagnetic theory of light," electric displacement will be seen as in the direction of propagation, with Fresnelian vibrations perpendicular to that direction.

From Lord Kelvin An account of his scientific life and work by Gray, Andrew