Electric field due to group of dipoles

Question

We know that an electric dipole (having no net charge) produces electric field around it, which means net charge is not a compulsory condition to make electric field. Now if in a region a group of dipoles is present (net charge is $0$) then what happens with the electric field outside that region? Will it be due to net dipole moment only? Will the shape of the electric field be as produced by a single dipole?

Can an atom be regarded as an electric dipole (same and opposite charges fixed distance apart)? If it is then why doesn't the electric fields present inside the conductor?

Answer 1

The E field of a dipole falls of as $\frac{1}{r^3}$, and atoms are generally close to spherically symmetric so that theres almost no field outside them.

The E field of an electric dipole is well documented:

Answer 2

Of course, net charge is not a compulsory condition to make an electric field. The charge distribution is.

Whether you can regard a group of dipoles as a single dipole depends on the arrangement of your dipoles and your distance to that group(determines if you can apply approximation). e.g. if you have the group where each dipole has an opposite direction regards to its neighbours, and if you are far away, there is no total dipole effect.