DHARANI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

(Affiliated to CBSE, New Delhi Affiliated no. 1930480)

Dharani Nagar, Vasudevanallur

PHYSICS INVESTIGATORY PROJECT

A PROJECT REPORT ON

DIPOLE

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Mrs. P. SUBBULAKSHMI, M.Sc.,B.Ed. M VIJAYAMURUGAN

(Department of Physics) GRADE XII

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that VIJAYAMURUGAN M has done the

project entitled,

DIPOLE under the supervision and guidance of

Mrs. P.SUBBULAKSHMI, M.Sc.,B.Ed .In the particulars

fulfilment of the curriculum of Central Board of Secondary
Education (CBSE) leading to the award of Annual
Examination for the year 2023-24.

INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to take this opportunity to express

special gratitude to my Physics teacher
Mrs. P.SUBBULAKSHMI, M.Sc., B.Ed.
As well as our Principal
Dr. JEEN PETER, M.A., Ph.D.
Who gave me the wonderful opportunity to do this
Physics project on the topic,
DIPOLE

The opportunity to participate in this project has

helped me to improve my research skills and I am
really grateful thanks to them.

I would also like to thank my family and friends for

constantly encouraging me during this project.

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CONTENTS

CERTIFICATE -2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT -3
INTRODUCTION -5
WHAT IS DIPOLE? -5
TYPES OF DIPOLES -6
ELECTRIC FIELD -7
UNIFORM ELECTRIC FIELD -7
DIPOLE IN A UNIFORM ELECTRIC FIELD -8
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL ENERGY -9
TORQUE ON A DIPOLE - 10
ELECTRIC DIPOLE MOMENT - 10
TORQUE IN A CAR - 11
APPLICATION - 13
CONCLUSION - 14
BIBLIOGRAPHY - 15

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Introduction
Welcome to this presentation on dipoles in electrical fields.
In this presentation, we will explore the concept of a dipole
and its interactions with electric fields. Understanding
dipoles is important because they are present in many real-
world applications, from molecular chemistry to electrical
engineering.
A dipole is a pair of equal and opposite charges separated by
a distance. When placed in an electric field, the dipole
experiences a torque that causes it to align with the field.
This behavior is crucial to understanding the behavior of
many systems, including molecules and electronic circuits.

What is a Dipole?
A dipole is a pair of equal and opposite electrical charges
separated by a small distance. This separation creates a
dipole moment, which is a measure of the strength of the
dipole. Dipoles can be found in many different types of
molecules and materials.
When placed in an electric field, a dipole experiences a force
that is proportional to the strength of the electric field and
the dipole moment. The direction of this force depends on
the orientation of the dipole relative to the electric field. If
the dipole is aligned with the electric field, it experiences no
net force, but if it is perpendicular to the field, it experiences
a torque that causes it to rotate.

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Types of Dipoles
There are two main types of dipoles: electric and magnetic
dipoles. An electric dipole is created by two charges of equal
magnitude but opposite sign that are separated by a
distance. The separation between the charges creates an
electric field that varies with distance from the dipole. A
magnetic dipole, on the other hand, is created by a current
loop or a spinning charged particle. The magnetic field
produced by a magnetic dipole also varies with distance from
the dipole.

The behavior of these two types of dipoles is different in

many ways. For example, an electric dipole experiences
torque when placed in an external electric field, while a
magnetic dipole experiences torque when placed in an
external magnetic field. Additionally, the strength of the
electric field produced by an electric dipole decreases as the
distance from the dipole increases, while the strength of the
magnetic field produced by a magnetic dipole decreases
much more slowly with distance.

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Electric Field
An electric field is a force field that surrounds an electric
charge or group of charges. It is created by the presence of
charged particles and can be represented by lines of force
called electric field lines.

The strength and direction of an electric field at any point in

space are determined by the magnitude and location of the
charges that create the field. The electric field is strongest
near the charges and decreases as the distance from the
charges increases.

Uniform Electric Field

A uniform electric field is a type of electric field where the
magnitude and direction of the electric field are constant at
every point in space. This means that if you were to place a
charged particle anywhere within the field, it would
experience the same force regardless of its position. In
contrast, a non-uniform electric field has varying magnitudes
and directions at different points in space, which results in a
charged particle experiencing different forces depending on
its location.
Uniform electric fields are often used in physics experiments
as they provide a consistent environment for studying the
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behavior of charged particles. They are also commonly found
in certain types of electronic devices, such as capacitors and
parallel plate electrodes. Understanding the differences
between uniform and non-uniform electric fields is important
for understanding how charged particles interact with their
environment.

Dipole in a Uniform Electric Field

In a uniform electric field, a dipole experiences a net torque
that causes it to rotate until it aligns with the direction of the
electric field. This behavior is important to understand
because it allows us to manipulate dipoles in electric fields
for various applications.

For example, in an electric motor, the interaction between a

rotating magnetic field and a dipole creates a torque that
drives the rotation of the motor. Similarly, in an MRI
machine, the alignment of hydrogen atom dipoles in a
magnetic field allows us to create detailed images of the
human body.

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Electric Potential Energy
Electric potential energy is the energy that a charged particle
possesses due to its position in an electric field. When a
dipole is placed in an electric field, it experiences a torque
that aligns it with the field. This alignment results in a
decrease in the potential energy of the dipole.

The electric potential energy of a dipole in an electric field

can be calculated using the formula U = -pEcosθ, where U is
the potential energy, p is the magnitude of the dipole
moment, E is the strength of the electric field, and θ is the
angle between the dipole moment and the electric field.
Understanding this concept is important in various fields such
as physics, chemistry, and engineering.

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Torque on a Dipole
When a dipole is placed in a uniform electric field, it
experiences a torque. This torque causes the dipole to rotate
until it aligns itself with the direction of the electric field.

Understanding this concept is important because it helps us

understand how dipoles behave in electric fields. It also has
practical applications in areas such as electrical engineering
and chemistry.

Electric Dipole Moment

The electric dipole moment is a measure of the separation of
charges in a dipole, and it plays an important role in
understanding how dipoles interact with electric fields. The
electric dipole moment is defined as the product of the
magnitude of the charge on each end of the dipole and the
distance between the charges.

In an electric field, a dipole experiences a torque that tends

to align the dipole with the direction of the field. The
strength of this torque depends on the magnitude of the
electric field and the electric dipole moment of the dipole.

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Understanding the concept of electric dipole moment is
crucial in analyzing the behavior of dipoles in electric fields.

Torque in a Car
So, how does torque work in a car? The engine is where
torque is generated. In an internal combustion engine, you
have pistons moving up and down inside the cylinders and
the energy is created by that ‘reciprocating’ motion. The
crankshaft translates this energy into a rotational force,
which is torque, ultimately transmitting it to the drive
wheels.

Simply put, torque is a measurement of your car's ability to

do work. So, the more torque, the greater amount of power
an engine can produce. If your engine has a lot of torque,
your car can accelerate more quickly when the vehicle is
beginning to start. Torque is also important when your car is
performing hard work such as moving heavy loads or
climbing a steep hill.
A car can exert more or less torque depending on the engine type. To sum up,
diesel engines
tend to feature more torque than gasoline
engines, meaning they are better suited for towing and
climbing.

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Torque in a Diesel Engine: Diesel engines tend to produce a
higher amount of torque than gasoline engines as they
compress more air. A diesel engine purely depends on the
heat of the air to ignite the fuel as opposed to using a spark
plug. So, what does this have to do with torque? Well, the
higher compression ratios, the greater efficiency of an engine
that is directly connected to torque. That means the diesel
engine has more torque due to its higher compression ratios.

Torque in a Gasoline Engine: In a gasoline engine, a spark

plug is used to combust the fuel. The piston within a cylinder
moves down a significant amount before a complete ignition
happens. In other words, the piston has already gone down
from the top when the fuel just begins to ignite. As a result,
the gasoline engine goes slower, thus decreasing torque.

Torque in an Electric Vehicle: Electric cars use an electric

motor to power the vehicle. While an internal combustion
engine needs to have multiple gears to achieve a top speed,
an electric motor can arrive at peak torque
instantaneously. Furthermore, the electric vehicle has a
reducer, a kind of transmission, to transmit the motor's
power to the wheel effectively. Since the motor has
significantly high torque, the reducer is needed to decrease
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the rpm to a proper level depending on the driving
conditions. So, electric vehicles can save power from the
reduced rpm, creating higher torque as a result.

Torque in a Hybrid Engine: A hybrid engine is divided into

two types: a gasoline engine paired with an electric motor or
a diesel engine paired with an electric motor. In a gasoline
hybrid, a motor can deliver a high torque similar to an EV at
lower speeds, thus offering the same benefits in terms of
quick torque, resulting in increased fuel efficiency and better
performance. Conversely, in the case of a diesel hybrid, it is
hard to maximize the abilities of a motor as the diesel engine
itself produces a high amount of torque.

Applications
One practical application of the concept of a dipole in an
electric field is in the development of new electronic devices.
By understanding how dipoles interact with electric fields,
engineers can design more efficient and effective circuitry.
For example, the use of dipoles in antennas allows for the
transmission and reception of electromagnetic waves, which
is essential for modern communication systems.
Another important application of dipoles in electric fields is in
the study of molecular biology. Many biological molecules,
such as DNA and proteins, have dipole moments that play a
crucial role in their structure and function. Understanding
how these dipoles interact with electric fields can provide
valuable insights into the behavior of these molecules, and

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can help researchers develop new drugs and treatments for
diseases.

Conclusion
In conclusion, understanding dipoles in an electric field is
crucial in many fields of science and engineering. A dipole is
defined as a pair of equal and opposite charges separated by
a distance, which creates a net electric field. There are
different types of dipoles, including electric and molecular
dipoles, each with their own unique characteristics and
applications.
We also learned about electric fields, electric potential
energy, torque on a dipole, electric dipole moment, and
other related concepts. These ideas help us understand the
behavior of dipoles in an electric field and their importance in
real-world applications such as electrical engineering,
chemistry, and biology. By studying dipoles, we can better
understand the fundamental principles that govern the
behavior of matter and energy.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

 https://www.sciencedirect.com
 https://www.britannica.com
 https://en.wikipedia.org

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