C-Fig. 7.  Analysis of the Electrostatic Bond.

A.  Comparisons between the fields of an electric dipole (A-1 and A-2) and permanent bar magnets (A-3, A-4, and A-5).  In contemporary models the electric field lines (A-2) are proposed to begin and end on the electric charges; whereas, the magnetic field lines are continuous and are presumed to pass through the permanent magnets (A-5).  The assigned directions for fields are indicated by arrows.  The patterns of particles surrounding an electric dipole and unlike magnetic poles are visually similar. The significance differences in the experimental bases is that electrical fields are proposed from observations of patterns of dielectric particles, such as bits of silk threads, in oil (A-1); whereas, the magnetic field lines are proposed from observations of iron particles on a surface or in a colloidal suspension (A-3 and A-4).