For a closed surface enclosing multiple charges, how is the total electric flux related to the enclosed charges?
Practice Questions
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Q1
For a closed surface enclosing multiple charges, how is the total electric flux related to the enclosed charges?
It is proportional to the sum of the charges
It is inversely proportional to the sum of the charges
It is independent of the charges
It is proportional to the square of the charges
According to Gauss's law, the total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the total charge enclosed.
Questions & Step-by-step Solutions
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Q
Q: For a closed surface enclosing multiple charges, how is the total electric flux related to the enclosed charges?
Solution: According to Gauss's law, the total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the total charge enclosed.
Steps: 6
Step 1: Understand what electric flux is. Electric flux is a measure of the electric field passing through a surface.
Step 2: Know what a closed surface is. A closed surface is a shape that completely encloses a volume, like a sphere or a cube.
Step 3: Learn about charges. Charges can be positive or negative and they create electric fields around them.
Step 4: Familiarize yourself with Gauss's law. Gauss's law states that the total electric flux through a closed surface is directly related to the total charge inside that surface.
Step 5: Remember the key relationship. The total electric flux (Φ) through the closed surface is equal to the total charge (Q) enclosed divided by a constant (ε₀), which is the permittivity of free space: Φ = Q/ε₀.
Step 6: Conclude that if you know the total charge inside the closed surface, you can determine the total electric flux through that surface.