The Electric Dipole Figure 4 shows a positive and a negative charge of equal magnitude q placed a distance d apart, a configuration called an electric dipole. We seek to calculate the electric field E at point P, a distance x along the perpendicular bisector of the line joining the charges. The positive and negative charges set up electric fields E, and E_, respectively. The magnitudes of these two fields at P are equal, because P is equidistant from the positive and negative charges. Figure 4 also shows the directions of E, and E_, determined by the directions of the force due to each charge alone that would act on a positive test charge at P. The total electric field at P is determined, according to Eq. 5, by the vector sum. E=E,+E.. From Eq. 4, the magnitudes of the fields from each charge are given by = _4 wer eg Gy Because the fields E, and E_ have equal magnitudes and lie at equal angles @ with respect to the z direc- tion as shown, the x component of the total field is E, sin 8 — E_ sin 9 = 0. The total field E therefore has only az component, of magnitude E=E,cos0+E_cos0=2E,cos8. (7) Figure 4 Positive and negative charges of equal magnitude form an electric dipole. The electric field E at any point is the ‘vector sum of the fields due to the individual charges. At point P on the x axis, the field has only a z component,From the figure we see that the angle @ is determined according to 8 Substituting this result and Eq. 6 into Ea. 7, we obtain -op te Se Ree eae 1 ad Gree (5+ GAT?” Equation 8 gives the magnitude of the electric field at ue to the dipole. “The field is proportional to the product ad, which in- volves the magnitudes of the dipole charges and their separation. This essential combined property of an elec- tric dipole is called the eleciric dipole moment p, de- fined by E- ® poad. ° ‘The dipole moment is a fundamental property of mole- cules, which often contain a negative and an equal posi- tive charge separated by a definite distance. A molecule (not a erystal) of a compound such as NaCl is a good ‘example, We can regard a molecule of NaCl as composed of a Na” ion (a neutral atom of sodium from which a single clectron has been removed) with an electric charge of +e, and a Ci- ion (a neutral atom of chlorine that has acquired an extra electron) with a charge of —e. The separation between Na and Cl measured for NaCl is 0.236 nm (1 nm = 10-* m), and so the dipole moment is expected to be p= ed = (1.60 X 10-" CX0.236 X 10°? m) 3.78 X 10-9 C-m. ‘The measured valueis 3.00 X 10-” Cm, indicating that theelectronisno entirely removed from Naandattached toCl Toa certain extent, the elecron is shared between Na and Cl, resulting in a dipole moment somewhat ‘smaller than expected, Often we observe the field of an electric dipole at points ‘whose distance fom the dipoles ery large compared withthe separation d. In this case we can simplify the dipole fied somewhat by making use of the binomial expansion, n=l) (4 ype Lt nyt Letus first rewrite Eg, 8 asand apply the binomial expansion to the factor in brack- ts, which gives, racSf+()(E)+~] rel ee wg tt -1F ar eee ao) secputsassen matte Seen al ln moe Soe fanet einememar sie ages se iawn ihan ie Sti a eaermramnoepenmen CHAPTER 28 THE ELECTRIC FIELD 608 Chapter 28 The Electric Field PHYSICS