1. Tardigrade
  2. Question
  3. Physics
  4. An electric dipole has the magnitude of its charge as q and its dipole moment is p. It is placed in a 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 Error Report

Thank you for reporting, we will resolve it shortly

Back to Question

Q. An electric dipole has the magnitude of its charge as $q$ and its dipole moment is $p$. It is placed in a 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

AIPMTAIPMT 2004Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance

Solution:

The total force on dipole is zero because F = q E is applied on each charge but in opposite direction. The potential energy is U = $ - \overrightarrow{ p} \cdot \overrightarrow{E}$ which is minimum when $ \overrightarrow{ p}$ and $ \overrightarrow{E}$ are parallel.