Question

An oxygen atom produced a dipole moment of 5 X 10^-23 cm when subjected to an electric field. If the separation between the center of electronic cloud and the nucleus is 4 X 10^-17 m, what is the polarizability of the oxygen atom?

(a) 1.4 X 10^-47 Fm^2

(b) 1.7 X 10^-47 Fm^2

(c) 1.8 X 10^-47 Fm^2

(d) 1.9 X 10^-47 Fm^2

I have been asked this question by my school principal while I was bunking the class.

My query is from Types of Polarisation in division Dielectrics of Engineering Physics II

Answer 1

Right answer is (d) 1.9 X 10^-47 Fm^2

Easiest explanation: If d is the separation between the centers, then

E = 8ⅇ/(4πε0 d)

= 8 X 1.6 X 10^-19/4 X 3.14 X 8.85 X 10^-12 X 16 X 10^-34

= 2.6 X 10^24 V/m

Also, p = αE

Therefore, α = p/E

= 1.9 X 10^-47 Fm^2.