The discussion centers on determining the dipole moment of a system with two charges, +2C and -2C, separated by 2 meters. The dipole moment is calculated using the formula p = qL, where p is the dipole moment, q is the magnitude of the charge, and L is the distance between the charges. Participants confirm that the value of q used in the formula should always be the positive magnitude of the charge, which in this case is 2C.
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The formula you quote is for a dipole consisting of two charges: +q and -q. Therefore, you plug in the magnitude of the charges q, which is positive by definition.pyroknife said:Let's say you have 2 charges of magnitude 2C except 1 is + and the other -. They're separated by 2m. dipole moment=p=qL
Which q do you plug in there?