A dipole moment p is placed in a uniform electric field E. What is the torque ex
Practice Questions
Q1
A dipole moment p is placed in a uniform electric field E. What is the torque experienced by the dipole?
pE
pE sin θ
pE cos θ
0
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A dipole moment p is placed in a uniform electric field E. What is the torque experienced by the dipole?
Step 1: Understand what a dipole moment (p) is. It is a measure of the separation of positive and negative charges in a system.
Step 2: Know what a uniform electric field (E) is. It is a region where a charged particle experiences a constant force.
Step 3: Recognize that when a dipole is placed in an electric field, it experiences a torque (τ) that tends to align it with the field.
Step 4: The formula for torque (τ) is given by τ = p × E, which means the torque is the cross product of the dipole moment and the electric field.
Step 5: The magnitude of the torque can also be expressed as τ = pE sin θ, where θ is the angle between the dipole moment and the electric field.
Step 6: Remember that sin θ helps determine how effective the torque is based on the angle of the dipole relative to the field.
Dipole Moment – A dipole moment is a measure of the separation of positive and negative charges in a system, represented as a vector.
Torque in Electric Fields – Torque is the rotational force experienced by a dipole in an electric field, calculated using the cross product of the dipole moment and the electric field.
Angle Dependency – The torque depends on the sine of the angle between the dipole moment and the electric field, indicating that maximum torque occurs at 90 degrees.
