2.4 POTENTIAL DUE TO AN ELECTRIC DIPOLE As we learnt in the last chapter, an electric dipole consists of two charges q and –q separated by a (small) distance 2a. Its total charge is zero. It is characterised by a dipole moment vector p whose magnitude is q × 2a and which points in the direction from –q to q (Fig. 2.5). We also saw that the electric field of a dipole at a point with position vector r depends not just on the magnitude r, but also on the angle between r and p. Further, 49 Reprint 2025-26 Physics the field falls off, at large distance, not as 1/r 2 (typical of field due to a single charge) but as 1/r3. We, now, determine the electric potential due to a dipole and contrast it with the potential due to a single charge. As before, we take the origin at the centre of the dipole. Now we know that the electric field obeys the superposition principle. Since potential is related to the work done by the field, electrostatic potential also follows the superposition principle. Thus, the potential due to the dipole is the sum of potentials due to the charges q and –q 1  q q  V = − (2.9)FIGURE 2.5 Quantities involved in the calculation 4 πε0  r1 r2  of potential due to a dipole. where r1 and r2 are the distances of the point P from q and –q, respectively. Now, by geometry, r12 = r 2 + a 2 − 2ar cosq r22 = r 2 + a 2 + 2ar cosq (2.10) We take r much greater than a ( r  a ) and retain terms only upto the first order in a/r 2 2  2a cosθ a 2  r1 = r 1 − + 2  r r  2  2a cosθ (2.11) ≅ r  1 − r  Similarly, 2 2  2a cosθ (2.12) r2 ≅ r 1 + r  Using the Binomial theorem and retaining terms upto the first order in a/r ; we obtain, 1 a 1  2a cos θ − 1 / 2 1   cos θ ≅ 1 − ≅ 1 + [2.13(a)] r1 r  r  r  r  1 a 1  2a cos θ − 1 / 2 1   cos θ ≅ 1 + ≅ 1 − [2.13(b)] r2 r  r  r  r  Using Eqs. (2.9) and (2.13) and p = 2qa, we get q 2 acosθ p cos θ V = = 4 πε0 r 2 4 πε0r 2 (2.14) 50 Now, p cos q = p.rˆ Reprint 2025-26 Electrostatic Potential and Capacitance where ˆr is the unit vector along the position vector OP. The electric potential of a dipole is then given by 1 p.rˆ V = 2 ; (r >> a) (2.15) 4 πε0 r Equation (2.15) is, as indicated, approximately true only for distances large compared to the size of the dipole, so that higher order terms in a/r are negligible. For a point dipole p at the origin, Eq. (2.15) is, however, exact. From Eq. (2.15), potential on the dipole axis (q = 0, p ) is given by 1 p V = ± 2 (2.16) 4 πε0 r (Positive sign for q = 0, negative sign for q = p.) The potential in the equatorial plane (q = p/2) is zero. The important contrasting features of electric potential of a dipole from that due to a single charge are clear from Eqs. (2.8) and (2.15): (i) The potential due to a dipole depends not just on r but also on the angle between the position vector r and the dipole moment vector p. (It is, however, axially symmetric about p. That is, if you rotate the position vector r about p, keeping q fixed, the points corresponding to P on the cone so generated will have the same potential as at P.) (ii) The electric dipole potential falls off, at large distance, as 1/r 2, not as 1/r, characteristic of the potential due to a single charge. (You can refer to the Fig. 2.5 for graphs of 1/r 2 versus r and 1/r versus r, drawn there in another context.)

2.1 Two charges 5 × 10–8 C and –3 × 10–8 C are located 16 cm apart. At what point(s) on the line joining the two charges is the electric potential zero? Take the potential at infinity to be zero.

14.3 Carbon, silicon and germanium have four valence electrons each. These are characterised by valence and conduction bands separated 341 Reprint 2025-26 Physics by energy band gap respectively equal to (Eg)C, (Eg)Si and (Eg)Ge. Which of the following statements is true? (a) (Eg)Si < (Eg)Ge < (Eg)C (b) (Eg)C < (Eg)Ge > (Eg)Si (c) (Eg)C > (Eg)Si > (Eg)Ge (d) (Eg)C = (Eg)Si = (Eg)Ge 14.4 In an unbiased p-n junction, holes diffuse from the p-region to n-region because (a) free electrons in the n-region attract them. (b) they move across the junction by the potential difference. (c) hole concentration in p-region is more as compared to n-region. (d) All the above. 14.5 When a forward bias is applied to a p-n junction, it (a) raises the potential barrier. (b) reduces the majority carrier current to zero. (c) lowers the potential barrier. (d) None of the above. 14.6 In half-wave rectification, what is the output frequency if the input frequency is 50 Hz. What is the output frequency of a full-wave rectifier for the same input frequency. Reprint 2025-26 Notes Reprint 2025-26 Physics APPENDICES APPENDIX A 1 THE GREEK ALPHABET APPENDIX A 2 COMMON SI PREFIXES AND SYMBOLS FOR MULTIPLES AND SUB-MULTIPLES Reprint 2025-26 AppendicesAnswers APPENDIX A 3 SOME IMPORTANT CONSTANTS OTHER USEFUL CONSTANTS 345 Reprint 2025-26 Physics ANSWERS CHAPTER 9 9.1 v = –54 cm. The image is real, inverted and magnified. The size of the image is 5.0 cm. As u ® f, v ® ¥; for u < f, image is virtual. 9.2 v = 6.7 cm. Magnification = 5/9, i.e., the size of the image is 2.5 cm. As u ® ¥; v ® f (but never beyond) while m ® 0. 9.3 1.33; 1.7 cm 9.4 nga = 1.51; nwa = 1.32; ngw = 1.144; which gives sin r = 0.6181 i.e., r ~ 38°. 9.5 r = 0.8 × tan ic and sin ci = 1/1.33 ≅ 0.75 , where r is the radius (in m) of the largest circle from which light comes out and ic is the critical angle for water-air interface, Area = 2.6 m2 9.6 n ≅ 1.53 and Dm for prism in water ≅ 10° 9.7 R = 22 cm 9.8 Here the object is virtual and the image is real. u = +12 cm (object on right; virtual) (a) f = +20 cm. Image is real and at 7.5 cm from the lens on its right side. (b) f = –16 cm. Image is real and at 48 cm from the lens on its right side. 9.9 v = 8.4 cm, image is erect and virtual. It is diminished to a size 1.8 cm. As u ® ¥, v ® f (but never beyond f while m ® 0). Note that when the object is placed at the focus of the concave lens (21 cm), the image is located at 10.5 cm (not at infinity as one might wrongly think). 9.10 A diverging lens of focal length 60 cm 9.11 (a) ve = –25 cm and fe = 6.25 cm give ue = –5 cm; vO = (15 – 5) cm = 10 cm, fO = uO = – 2.5 cm; Magnifying power = 20 (b) uO = – 2.59 cm. Magnifying power = 13.5. 9.12 Angular magnification of the eye-piece for image at 25 cm 25 25   1  11; | u e |= cm = 2 .27cm ; vO = 7.2 cm 2.5 11 Separation = 9.47 cm; Magnifying power = 88 9.13 24; 150 cm 9.14 (a) Angular magnification = 1500 346 (b) Diameter of the image = 13.7 cm. Reprint 2025-26 Answers