1. A unit of electric dipole moment equal to 10⁻¹⁸ electrostatic units, used in chemistry and physics to measure molecular polarity.
Usage: technical; physics and chemistry; named after physicist Peter Debye

Examples

• Water has a dipole moment of approximately 1.85 debyes.
• The debye is commonly used to express the polarity of molecules in organic chemistry.
• Chemists measure molecular dipole moments in debyes to understand molecular interactions.
• The debye unit helps scientists quantify how polar a molecule is.
• A nonpolar molecule has a dipole moment close to zero debyes.