Comparing the field of a single point charge with the field of an electric dipole,
A)the field of the point charge decreases more rapidly with distance
B)the field of the point charge decreases less rapidly with distance
C)the field of the point charge decreases more rapidly with distance but only along the dipole axis
D)the field of the point charge decreases less rapidly with distance but only perpendicular to the dipole axis
E)the fields decrease equally rapidly with distance

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The field of a single point charge decreases as the inverse square of the distance from the charge (1/r^2), whereas the field of an electric dipole decreases more rapidly, as the inverse cube of the distance from the dipole's center (1/r^3) along any direction. Therefore, the field of the point charge decreases less rapidly with distance compared to the dipole field.

Comparing the Field of a Single Point Charge with the Field