Dipole and Dipole Moment

If two equal and opposite charges are separated by a small distance, the system is said to form a dipole. The product of the magnitude of charge and separation between the charges is called dipole moment.

p = q × 2l

The dipole moment is a vector quantity. Its SI unit is coulomb-metre. Its direction is from negative charge to positive charge along the line joining the two charges (axis of the dipole).