Dipole
Overview
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, there are several kinds of dipoles:
- An electric dipoleElectric dipole momentIn physics, the electric dipole moment is a measure of the separation of positive and negative electrical charges in a system of charges, that is, a measure of the charge system's overall polarity with SI units of Coulomb-meter...
is a separation of positive and negative charges. The simplest example of this is a pair of electric chargeElectric chargeElectric charge is a physical property of matter that causes it to experience a force when near other electrically charged matter. Electric charge comes in two types, called positive and negative. Two positively charged substances, or objects, experience a mutual repulsive force, as do two...
s of equal magnitude but opposite sign, separated by some (usually small) distance. A permanent electric dipole is called an electretElectretElectret is a dielectric material that has a quasi-permanent electric charge or dipole polarisation. An electret generates internal and external electric fields, and is the electrostatic equivalent of a permanent magnet. Oliver Heaviside coined this term in 1885...
. - A magnetic dipole is a closed circulation of electric currentElectric currentElectric current is a flow of electric charge through a medium.This charge is typically carried by moving electrons in a conductor such as wire...
. A simple example of this is a single loop of wire with some constant current flowing through it. - A flow dipole is a separation of a sink and a source.
