| magnetic dipole moment | |
noun | |
| (physics) a current loop gives rise to a magnetic field characteristic of a magnetic dipole; "An orbiting electron in an atom will have a magnetic dipole moment" |
| magnetic dipole moment
A vector quantity associated with the magnetic properties of electric current loops or, more generally, magnets. It is equal to the amount of current flowing through the loop multiplied by the area encompassed by the loop, and its direction is established by the right hand rule for rotations. It can be thought of as a vector pointing from the south to the north of a magnetic dipole, and is then equal to the length of the dipole times the strength of either of its poles. Also called magnetic moment. |