Dipole Moment Calculator
Calculate electric dipole moment for two charges or complex charge systems
Calculate Electric Dipole Moment
Magnitude of one charge (consider positive)
Distance between the charges
Dipole Moment Result
Formula used: p = |q| × d
Input values: q = 0.000e+0 C, d = 0.000e+0 m
Direction: From negative charge to positive charge
Example Calculation
Two Opposite Charges
Given: q = +0.5 C, distance = 20 cm
Convert distance: 20 cm = 0.2 m
Formula: p = q × d
Calculation: p = 0.5 C × 0.2 m = 0.1 C·m
Result: Dipole moment = 0.1 C·m
System of Three Charges
q₁ = 0.25 C at (2, 3, 3)
q₂ = -0.14 C at (1, -1, 1.5)
q₃ = 0.17 C at (-1, -0.5, 2)
Reference point: (-1.5, 2.5, 2)
Result: P = (0.61, 0.105, 0.32) C·cm
Types of Dipoles
Electric Dipole
Two opposite charges separated by distance
Creates electric field pattern
Magnetic Dipole
Current loop or spinning charge
Creates magnetic field pattern
Applications
Molecular chemistry and polarity
Antenna design and radiation
Spectroscopy and material analysis
Electric field interactions
Chemical bond analysis
Dipole Moment Tips
Direction: negative to positive charge
Units: Coulomb-meters (C·m)
Vector quantity with magnitude and direction
Zero for symmetric charge distributions
Understanding Electric Dipole Moment
What is Electric Dipole Moment?
The electric dipole moment is a measure of the polarity of a system of electric charges. It quantifies how much the positive and negative charges are separated in space and indicates the system's tendency to align with an external electric field.
Key Properties
- •Vector quantity with direction and magnitude
- •Direction from negative to positive charge
- •Measured in Coulomb-meters (C·m)
- •Fundamental in electrostatics and chemistry
Calculation Formulas
Two Equal Charges
p = |q| × d
Where q is charge magnitude and d is separation distance
System of Charges
P = Σ qi(ri - r)
Sum over all charges with position vectors relative to reference point
Note: The dipole moment depends on the choice of reference point for systems with net charge, but is independent for neutral systems.