Properties of a Magnetic Dipole.

Magnetic phenomena differ from electric phenomena since there are no free magnetic charges or poles. The basic entity in magnetic phenomena is thus the magnetic dipole - the magnetic analogue of the electric dipole consisting of two opposite charges placed very close together. Bulk magnetic phenomena such as magnetization are generally described in terms of accumulations of magnetic dipoles. However standard works on electromagnetism usually describe only the simple features of the dipole without verifying all its properties. This note explores the physical and mathematical properties of the classical magnetic dipole. These properties enable the dipole to be considered as one of the fundamental magnetostatic units.