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A grounded conducting sphere of radius a is placed with its centre at the origin. A point dipole of dipole moment p=pk is placed at a distance d along the -axis, where 1,k are the units vector along the x and z axes respectively. This leads to the formation of an image dipole of strength p at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis. If d'=a^2/d, then p'=?
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A grounded conducting sphere of radius a is placed with its centre at ...
Formation of Image Dipole

When a point dipole is placed near a grounded conducting sphere, it induces charges on the surface of the sphere. These induced charges rearrange themselves to form an image dipole. The image dipole has the same magnitude as the original dipole but is located at a specific distance and in a specific orientation from the centre of the sphere.

Position of the Image Dipole

In this case, the original dipole is placed at a distance d along the -axis. The image dipole is formed at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis. The relationship between d and d' is given as d' = a^2/d, where a is the radius of the conducting sphere.

Explanation of the Relationship

To understand why d' = a^2/d, let's consider the electric field produced by the original dipole at the surface of the conducting sphere. The electric field lines produced by the dipole terminate on the surface of the sphere, causing a redistribution of charges.

Electric Field Due to the Original Dipole

The electric field produced by the original dipole at any point in space is given by:

E = (1/4πε₀) * (p/r^3 - 3(p·r)r/r^5)

Where p is the dipole moment, r is the position vector, and ε₀ is the permittivity of free space.

Electric Field at the Surface of the Sphere

At the surface of the conducting sphere, the electric field is perpendicular to the surface. This means that the dot product (p·r) in the equation for the electric field becomes zero. Therefore, the electric field simplifies to:

E = (1/4πε₀) * (p/r^3)

Charge Induced on the Surface

The electric field at the surface of the conducting sphere induces charges on the surface. These induced charges redistribute themselves to form an image dipole.

The charge induced on the surface of the conducting sphere is given by:

q = -σA

Where σ is the surface charge density and A is the area of the surface.

Relationship between Charge and Electric Field

The relationship between the charge induced on the surface and the electric field at the surface is given by Gauss's law:

q = ε₀E

Combining these equations, we can write:

-σA = ε₀ * (1/4πε₀) * (p/r^3)

Simplifying, we get:

σ = -p/(4πr^3)

Formation of the Image Dipole

The induced charges on the conducting sphere redistribute themselves to form an image dipole. The image dipole has the same magnitude as the original dipole but is located at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis.

The distance d' can be found by considering the geometry of the situation. Since the conducting sphere is grounded, the potential at the surface of the sphere is zero. The potential due to the original dipole and the image dipole at the surface of the sphere must cancel each other out.

The potential due to a dipole at a point P in space is given by:

V = (1/4πε₀) * (p·r)/r^3

At the surface of the sphere
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A grounded conducting sphere of radius a is placed with its centre at the origin. A point dipole of dipole moment p=pk is placed at a distance d along the -axis, where 1,k are the units vector along the x and z axes respectively. This leads to the formation of an image dipole of strength p at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis. If d'=a^2/d, then p'=?
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A grounded conducting sphere of radius a is placed with its centre at the origin. A point dipole of dipole moment p=pk is placed at a distance d along the -axis, where 1,k are the units vector along the x and z axes respectively. This leads to the formation of an image dipole of strength p at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis. If d'=a^2/d, then p'=? for Physics 2024 is part of Physics preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Physics exam syllabus. Information about A grounded conducting sphere of radius a is placed with its centre at the origin. A point dipole of dipole moment p=pk is placed at a distance d along the -axis, where 1,k are the units vector along the x and z axes respectively. This leads to the formation of an image dipole of strength p at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis. If d'=a^2/d, then p'=? covers all topics & solutions for Physics 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for A grounded conducting sphere of radius a is placed with its centre at the origin. A point dipole of dipole moment p=pk is placed at a distance d along the -axis, where 1,k are the units vector along the x and z axes respectively. This leads to the formation of an image dipole of strength p at a distance d' from the centre along the -axis. If d'=a^2/d, then p'=?.
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