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A short electric dipole is placed near a long, straight, uniformly positively charged wire. The dipole moment vector p points towards the wire, as shown in the figure. If the dipole is free to move, in which direction will it begin to move and how will its electrostatic potential energy change?

Options

  1. ATowards the wire, as its potential energy will decrease.
  2. BTowards the wire, as its potential energy will increase.
  3. CAway from the wire, as its potential energy will decrease.
  4. DAway from the wire, as its potential energy will increase.

Correct answer

C. Away from the wire, as its potential energy will decrease.

Step-by-step solution

The electric field E due to the uniformly positively charged wire points radially outward (away from the wire). The magnitude of this electric field at a distance r is E = 2 ₀ r , which decreases as r increases. The dipole moment p points towards the wire. This implies that the positive charge of the dipole is closer to the wire, while the negative charge is farther away. Since the electric field is stronger closer to the wire, the repulsive force on the positive charge is greater in magnitude than the attractive f

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