Dipole

Uncommon card · No. 181301

In physics, a dipole (from Ancient Greek δίς (dís) 'twice' and πόλος (pólos) 'axis') is an electromagnetic phenomenon which occurs in two ways: An electric dipole formed by the separation of the positive and negative electric charges (typically in atomic and molecular systems). A magnetic dipole represents a sufficiently small magnet such as those due to atoms, molecules, and electrons. The strength of a dipole, whether electric or magnetic, is characterized by its dipole moment, a vector quantity. Electric dipoles produce an electric field and experience forces and torques in an electric field that are proportional to their electric dipole moment. The same is true of magnetic dipoles with magnetic fields. Further, the equations for the magnetic dipole are nearly identical to their electric counterparts. Electric dipoles are typically represented by a pair of equal but opposite electric charges separated by a small distance. The electric dipole moment points from the negative charge...

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