Alignment of Carbon Nanotubes in Electric Fields: How and Why?

AI Thread Summary
Conducting carbon nanotubes align their primary axes with static electric fields due to the influence of electric field gradients. The alignment minimizes the electric field within the nanotubes, resulting in a lower energy state. Additionally, the proximity of charges at each end of the nanotube to opposite electrodes may contribute to this behavior. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for applications in nanotechnology and materials science. The discussion highlights the importance of electric field interactions in the behavior of carbon nanotubes.
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Conducting carbon nanotubes align their primary axises in the direction of static electric field. Why is this?

I am thinking that it's because since this is their longer axis, the gradient of the generated electric field within the nanotubes will be less than in the perpendicular case. Is this the right way to think about this?
 
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Or, alternatively, is it because the charges at the each end of the nanotube will be closer to the electrode of the opposite charge?
 

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