How can the potential energy at 90 degrees be zero where there is maximum torque. If you place the dipole at 90 degrees in a constant electric field to the right, won't the dipole immediately rotate to the right (gain kinetic energy at the expense of potential energy)?
That comes from the definition of the cross product between 2 vectors. The energy is a scalar product (or dot product) between 2 vectors which uses a cosine instead.
Great video. Watching from TÜRKİYE
How can the potential energy at 90 degrees be zero where there is maximum torque. If you place the dipole at 90 degrees in a constant electric field to the right, won't the dipole immediately rotate to the right (gain kinetic energy at the expense of potential energy)?
Yes a deeper explanation would be nice
Thank you for this lecture.
❤
why sin and not cosine
That comes from the definition of the cross product between 2 vectors. The energy is a scalar product (or dot product) between 2 vectors which uses a cosine instead.
greaaaaaaaaaaat