An electric dipole has the magnitude of its charge as q and its dipole moment is p. It is placed in uniform electric field E. If its dipole moment is along the direction of the field, the force on it and its potential energy are respectively
Question
An electric dipole has the magnitude of its charge as q and its dipole moment is p. It is placed in uniform electric field E. If its dipole moment is along the direction of the field, the force on it and its potential energy are respectively
Solution
The force (F) on an electric dipole in a uniform electric field is zero when the dipole moment is aligned with the field. This is because the forces on the two charges of the dipole are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction, so they cancel each other out.
The potential energy (U) of an electric dipole in an electric field is given by the equation U = -pEcosθ, where p is the dipole moment, E is the electric field strength, and θ is the angle between the dipole moment and the field. When the dipole moment is aligned with the field (θ = 0), cosθ = 1, so the equation simplifies to U = -pE.
So, the force on the dipole is zero and its potential energy is -pE.
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