dipole moment

American  

noun

1. electric dipole moment.

2. magnetic moment.

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dipole moment British  

noun

1.  μ.  chem a measure of the polarity in a chemical bond or molecule, equal to the product of one charge and the distance between the charges

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dipole moment Scientific  

1. The product of the strength of either of the charges in an electric dipole and the distance separating the two charges. It is expressed in coulomb meters. Dipole moment is a vector quantity; its direction is defined as toward the positive charge.

2. The product of the strength of either of the poles in an magnetic dipole and the distance separating the two poles. Dipole moment is a vector quantity; its direction is defined as toward the magnetic north pole. Since magnetic monopoles apparently do not exist, the magnetic moment is usually calculated by analysis of the flow of electric current inducing the magnetic field.

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Etymology

Origin of dipole moment

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The PQ symmetry addresses the strong CP problem, which asks why experiments fail to detect the tiny electric dipole moment that theory predicts for the neutron.

From Science Daily

For this method to work, the only requirement is that the molecules have a magnetic dipole moment, which means that they behave like tiny bar magnets.

From Nature

The scientists zapped the molecules with lasers and studied the light reflected back by the molecules; bends in the light would point to an electric dipole moment.

From Scientific American

If this moment were to come from, for instance, a positron dipole moment, then quantum corrections35 would loosen the bound to about 10−5e cm.

From Nature

Schematic of the adiabatic energy levels as a function of external electric field, for interband dipole moment .

From Nature