A cube encloses a charge Q at its center. What is the electric flux through one
Practice Questions
Q1
A cube encloses a charge Q at its center. What is the electric flux through one face of the cube?
Q/ε₀
Q/6ε₀
Q/3ε₀
Zero
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A cube encloses a charge Q at its center. What is the electric flux through one face of the cube?
Step 1: Understand that a cube has 6 faces and encloses a charge Q at its center.
Step 2: Recall Gauss's Law, which states that the total electric flux (Φ) through a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed (Q) divided by the permittivity of free space (ε₀).
Step 3: Apply Gauss's Law to the cube: The total electric flux through the entire cube is Φ = Q/ε₀.
Step 4: Since the cube has 6 identical faces, the electric flux is evenly distributed across all faces.
Step 5: To find the electric flux through one face, divide the total flux by the number of faces: Φ_face = (Q/ε₀) / 6.
Step 6: Simplify the expression: Φ_face = Q / (6ε₀).
Gauss's Law – The total electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed within that surface.
Symmetry in Electric Fields – For symmetrical charge distributions, the electric flux can be evenly distributed across all faces of the enclosing surface.