What would happen to a dipole when it is released from a state of unstable equilibrium ?In Which orientation will get aligned to ?
A2A
Torque=m→\crossE→⟹τ→=mEsin(θ)n^
There are positions for stability according to this equation, one is when the electric field and the electric dipole are parallel, while the other is when they are anti-parallel.
The unstable one is when they are antiparallel because from the equation U=−m→⋅E→⟹U=−mEcos(θ).
At anti-parallel, the potential energy is positive. Bodies don't like to have positive potential energy, so even if the torque is zero, the potential is high which the body does not like and hence can be termed to be in "unstable equilibrium"
At parallel, the potential is as negative as it gets and the body likes that, plus the torque acting on it is also zero, so the position is termed "stable equilibrium".
So it will try to come back to its stable position.
A2A
Torque=m→\crossE→⟹τ→=mEsin(θ)n^
There are positions for stability according to this equation, one is when the electric field and the electric dipole are parallel, while the other is when they are anti-parallel.
The unstable one is when they are antiparallel because from the equation U=−m→⋅E→⟹U=−mEcos(θ).
At anti-parallel, the potential energy is positive. Bodies don't like to have positive potential energy, so even if the torque is zero, the potential is high which the body does not like and hence can be termed to be in "unstable equilibrium"
At parallel, the potential is as negative as it gets and the body likes that, plus the torque acting on it is also zero, so the position is termed "stable equilibrium".
So it will try to come back to its stable position.
