Lecture 6

Electric flux

August 24, 2016

Objectives

Relate the electric flux through a closed surface to the total charge

inside and outside the surface

Evaluate the electric flux through a surface given the electric field

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Electric flux

Consider a surface of area A in a region of uniform electric field E~ . We

define the electric flux as
~ = EA cos
E = E~ A
~ is called the area vector :
where A
~ = A n
A
where n points perpendicular to the area.

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Volume flow rate through a loop of area A:

dV
= Av
dt
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Electric flux

Volume flow rate through a loop of area A:

dV
~ ~v
= (A cos )v = A
dt
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Electric flux

Fluid flux is a measure of the amount of water that flows through an area
per unit time. What flow does the electric flux measure? Flow of
electric field!

Remark
Electric flux is a measure of the amount of electric field that flows per
unit time.

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Electric flux
Example
A disk of radius 0.10 m is oriented with its normal unit vector at 30. to a
uniform electric field of magnitude 2.0 103 N/C. What is the electric
flux through the disk?

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Electric flux

Use the definition of electric flux.

E = EA cos
= (2.0 103 N/C)((0.10 m)2 ) cos 30
= 54 N m2 /C .
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Electric flux
For uniform fields and flat surfaces,
~
E = E~ A
~ points perpendicular to the surface.
where A
In general,
Z
E =

~
E~ d A

Remark
For a closed surface, the area vector must be pointing outward.

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Remark
For closed surfaces, an inward flux is negative while an outward flux is
positive.

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Electric flux

Example
The electric field is
(200 N/C) k in the region
z > 0 and (200 N/C) k in
the region z < 0. A cylinder
with radius 5.00 cm has its
center at the origin. What is
the total electric flux passing
through the surface of the
cylinder?

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Electric flux
Calculate the electric flux for
three parts: the left end, the
right end, and the curved
body.
For the right end,
E = EA cos
= (200)(0.0500)2 cos 0
= 1.57 N m2 /C
Looking at the symmetry of
the left and right end, we see
that for the left end,
E = 1.57 N m2 /C
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Electric flux

For the curved body, for any

very, very small part of its
area, = 90 . So E = 0.
Add the contributions of each
part.
E = 1.57 + 1.57 + 0
= 3.14 N m2 /C .

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ConcepTest!

A cube contains no net charge. The electric flux through the top side is
positive. The net electric flux through the other sides is
(A) positive.
(B) negative.
(C) zero.

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Exercise!
A cube of side length ` is placed
in a region with a uniform electric
field, as shown. What is the
electric flux through the cube?

Calculate the flux through each face.

E ,1 = E `2
E ,2 = E `2
E ,3 = 0
E ,4 = 0
E ,5 = 0
E ,6 = 0
Add the contributions of each part.
E = E `2 + E `2
+0+0+0+0= 0 .

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