Condensativity of cables

I'm assuming that you're after what's more often called capacitance (per metre).

You can't really specify a figure for a single conductor. The capacitance between conductors depends on the configuration. If it's not intended to be a signal cable (and XLPE seems to be a power cable), the manufacturer probably won't give a figure.

Lots of hand-held meters have capacitance measurement facilities - my Wavetek 25XT has ranges from 200pF to 20mF (that's 0.020F!). You should be able to measure directly, given a reasonable length of cable as a sample.

Yes, absolutely! I lost the word, but it came back to me later. It's Capacitance, of course. Sorry, friends.

No problem.. actually the word is what attracted me. In the automotive world, capacitors were often called condensors -- especially when used across ignition "points" (itself, an odd term for contacts).

It occurs to me, this could go on and on: the "plugs" are really spark gaps; the "coil" is really two coils forming a transformer.

Are you sure you want to measure capacitance? isn't it the conductivity that you are looking for?

Capacity is measured between two electrodes. Although it is possible to measure the capacity of a single cable, It is rather complicated and requires special equipment. that is mainly because c=Q/V where Q is the charge, and V is the potential difference between the two poles of the capacitor. where you, by your own definition have only one.

Curiosity killed the cat..., why do you need to know the capacitance of a single conductor?

Ok.

A luminaire's ignitor has a capacitor. Let's say a 2000W Metal Halide. If there is a very long cable between the lamp and the equipment, such as for example in stadiums, the capacity of the cable is added to the capacitor's, and may cause malfunctions. So it must be checked, I guess.

I don't know what value capacitor is used in these luminaires, but the cable is likely to be a few pF/m - so I suspect you'd need a loooong run to get anywhere comparable with the ignitor capacitor.

Well, I thought so.

Next question please.

Wangito.

I gather the OP is talking about three wire cables, and probably needs the capacitance between the two wires driving the load? (My guess is that it would be insignificant in comparison to the capacitance of the ignitor -- but I really don't have a clue -- other than that stadium lights are expected to have very long wire runs.)

Isn't conductor capacitance also dependent on the frequency of the signal?