One of the most important charge distributions in physics and chemistry is the electric dipole. The dipole consists of equal and opposite charges that are separated by a small distance. Although the dipole itself is neutral, there is an electric field because the two charges are not at exactly the same position. Suppose point charges q1 and q2 of +12 nC and -12 nC, respectively, are placed 10.0 cm apart (Figure 1). Compute the resultant electric field (magnitude and direction) at (a) point a, midway between the charges, and (b) point b, 4.0 cm to the left of q1. (c) What is the direction of the resultant electric field produced by these two charges at points along the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting the charges? Consider points both above and below the line connecting the charges.
a) Calculate the magnitude of the electric field at point a.
b) Calculate the magnitude of the electric field at point b.
c) Determine the direction of the resultant electric field at point b.
d) What is the direction of the resultant electric field produced by these two charges at points along the perpendicular bisector of the line connecting the charges below the x-axis?