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Torque On An Electric Dipole In A Uniform Electric Field - Practice Questions & MCQ

Edited By admin | Updated on Sep 18, 2023 18:34 AM | #JEE Main

Quick Facts

  • Dipole in Uniform electric field is considered one of the most asked concept.

  • 36 Questions around this concept.

Solve by difficulty

An electric dipole is placed at an angle of 30o to a non- ­uniform electric field. The dipole will experience

Two identical electric point dipoles have dipole moments $\overrightarrow{p_1}=\hat{p i}$ and $\overrightarrow{p_2}=-p \hat{i}$ and are held on the x-axis at distance 'a' from each other. When released, they move along the $x$-axis with the direction of their dipole moments remaining unchanged. If the mass of each dipole is ' $m$ ', their speed when they are infinitely far apart is :

When an electric dipole $\vec{p}$ is placed in a uniform electric field $\vec{E}$ then at what angle between $\vec{p}$ and $\vec{E}$ the value of torque will be maximum

If a dipole is slightly displaced from its stable equilibrium position then which of the following is true -

  1. It will execute angular SHM
  2. Time period of oscillation is $T=\frac{1}{2 \pi} \sqrt{\frac{I}{P E}}$

An electric dipole placed in a non-uniform electric field can experience 

Two electric dipoles of dipole moments $1.2 \times 10^{-30} \mathrm{Cm}$ and $2.4 \times 10^{-30} \mathrm{Cm}$ are placed in two different uniform electric fields of strengths $5 \times 10^4 \mathrm{NC}^{-1}$ and $15 \times 10^4 \mathrm{NC}^{-1}$ respectively. The ratio of maximum torque experienced by the electric dipoles will be $\frac{1}{\mathrm{x}}$. The value of x is______.

The torque acting on an electric dipole placed in an electric field is maximum when the angle between the electric field and the dipole moment is _______.

 

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Concepts Covered - 1

Dipole in Uniform electric field

Net Force-  

When a dipole is kept in a uniform electric field. The net force experienced by the dipole is zero as shown in the below figure.

I.e $F_{\text {net }}=0$

 

Hence dipole will not make any linear motion.

Torque on dipole-

Net torque about the center of dipole is given as $\tau=Q E d \sin \theta$
Using $P=Q d_{\text {we get }} \tau=P E \sin \theta$
So $\vec{\tau}=\vec{P} \times \vec{E}$
- The direction of the torque is normal to the plane containing dipole moment $P$ and electric field $E$ and is governed by right-hand screw rule.
- If Dipole is parallel to E the torque is Zero. I.e $\Theta=0^{\circ} \quad \tau=0$ (This is the position of stable equilibrium of dipole)

                

  • Torque is maximum when Dipole is perpendicular to E. I.e ${ }^{\Theta}=\frac{\pi}{2} \quad \tau=P E=$ maximum torque

              

 

Oscillation of dipole -If a dipole experiencing a torque in an electric field is allowed to rotate, then it will rotate to align itself to the Electric field. But when it reaches along the direction of E the torque becomes zero. But due to inertia, it overshoots this equilibrium condition and then starts oscillating about this mean position.

The time period of this oscillation is given as

$
T=2 \pi \sqrt{\frac{I}{P E}}
$

where $\mathrm{I}=$ moment of inertia of dipole about the axis passing through its center and perpendicular to its length.

 

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Dipole in Uniform electric field

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