80 CHAPTER 3.

APPLICATIONS OF ELECTROSTATICS

which reduces to

+-k 21-2
sin 8
sin 8e-Zv(px + ip,) + .. . ,

and so to
k Q kr cos 8 kr sin 8 cos cp r sin 8 sin cp
4(r) = -r +r3 P Z
~ + 1-3
Px + r3
py + ...
kQ kp-r
= -+++... .
r r3
The first term kQ/r is the potential of a point charge Q at the origin, seen
at r. The potential of a dipole p at the origin and observed at r is kp . r/r3,
and so on. For the electric field strength we then obtain

E=-V4(r)=-V (3.26)

This expression will be needed later. The potential of a dipole p at the

origin, but observed at r is therefore

Its field strength Ed is

P - 3n(n . PI
E d = -V4d(r) = -k , (3.28)
r3
where n = r/r. The expansion (3.26) tells us that, as we approach the
individual charges by going to smaller values of T , we see more and more of
the structure of the charge distribution.
We close this consideration with a remark on the interaction of 2 dipoles.
What we mean by this interaction is the energy of one dipole in the field of
the other. This interaction is defined by the expression