The torque exerted by an electric field on a dipole is:
A)parallel to the field and perpendicular to the dipole moment
B)parallel to both the field and dipole moment
C)perpendicular to both the field and dipole moment
D)parallel to the dipole moment and perpendicular to the field
E)not related to the directions of the field and dipole moment

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The torque exerted by an electric field on a dipole is given by τ = p × E, where p is the dipole moment and E is the electric field. The cross product of p and E results in a vector that is perpendicular to both p and E, so the torque is perpendicular to both the field and dipole moment. Therefore, choice C is the correct answer.

The Torque Exerted by an Electric Field on a Dipole