🔌 With many poles 🧲 A field system

multipole

9.5

A system with more than two poles used to describe electric or magnetic fields

noun
/ˈmʌltɪˌpoʊl/

Specialized

: multipolo

So this would be a classical multipole expansion and we will now derive results quantum mechanically.

Examples

The scientist explained that the multipole model is essential for accurately determining the gravitational field around the planet.
So we are talking now about one further expansion of our expressions and this is the multipole expansion.
In electromagnetism, understanding the multipole series helps in calculating the fields produced by various charge distributions.
Each multipole contributes to the overall potential field, making it crucial for physicists to analyze their effects.

Antonyms

unipolar

Specialized

2 7.9

Having only one main center, for example one country or one electrical pole

How Many Poles

multipole

Specialized

9.5

dipole

Specialized

1 8.2

monopole

Specialized

1 8.9

Surface Forms

multipole singular

multipoles plural

Morphology

multipole = pole (transparent) = multi + pole

The noun is a straightforward technical use of 'multi-' plus 'pole', so the structure is easy to recover from the parts.

Etymology

Multipole comes from multi- 'many' and pole 'end or post', and you can remember it by thinking of a 'dipole' with two poles versus a multipole with more. So a multipole is a system or component with more than two poles used to describe electric or magnetic fields.