Why is the electric field from a dipole nonzero? Intuitively, I know there are electric field lines going from the positive to negative charge, so there should be an electric field.
But if I apply Gauss's law, then the enclosed charge should be zero (as the positive and negative charges cancel), meaning the electric field should be zero. Why is this argument invalid?
Best Answer
Flux is a measure of the electric field through a given surface. The field passes both ways, at different places, through the enclosing surface such that the total flux cancels out, precisely because the enclosed charge is zero. It does not follow that the field is zero at any given point.