Torque on Electric Dipole in Uniform Field (τ = pE sinθ)
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τ = pE sinθ
What each symbol means
| Symbol | What it stands for |
|---|---|
| E | Uniform electric field (N/C or V/m) |
| p | Electric dipole moment (C·m) |
| θ | Angle between p and E |
| τ | Torque on dipole (N·m) |
When to use this
Uniform E only. τ = 0 when p ∥ E (stable equilibrium) or p antiparallel to E (unstable). Potential energy U = −pE cosθ.