JentooPhysics C: E&M

AP® Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism · Unit 8 · Topic 8.3

The Field of an Electric Dipole

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  1. How it worksHow do the two dipole fields add along the axis and along the perpendicular bisector?
  2. Worked exampleFind the field on the axis of a dipole of 4 nC charges 2 mm apart, 10 cm from the middle.
  3. Worked exampleFind the torque a 500 N/C field puts on a dipole tilted 30 degrees to the field.
  4. Ties togetherHow does the dipole field explain why a neutral water molecule still feels a nearby charge?

Check yourself

Your turn1 of 2
A dipole consists of charges +7 nC and -7 nC separated by 4 mm. Find the magnitude of the electric field at a point on the dipole's axis, 28 cm from its center. Use k = 8.99x109 N m2/C2.

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