A point charge Q is placed at the center of a spherical Gaussian surface. What i
Practice Questions
Q1
A point charge Q is placed at the center of a spherical Gaussian surface. What is the electric flux through the surface?
0
Q/ε₀
Q/4πε₀
Q²/ε₀
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
A point charge Q is placed at the center of a spherical Gaussian surface. What is the electric flux through the surface?
Correct Answer: Φ = Q/ε₀
Step 1: Understand what a point charge is. A point charge is a charged object that is very small compared to the distance from it to other objects.
Step 2: Know what a spherical Gaussian surface is. It is an imaginary sphere used to help calculate electric fields and flux.
Step 3: Recall Gauss's law. It states that the electric flux (Φ) through a closed surface is equal to the charge (Q) inside the surface divided by the permittivity of free space (ε₀).
Step 4: Identify that the point charge Q is at the center of the spherical surface.
Step 5: Apply Gauss's law: Since the charge Q is inside the spherical surface, the electric flux Φ = Q/ε₀.
Step 6: Conclude that the electric flux through the surface is determined by the charge at the center.
Gauss's Law – Gauss's law relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed by that surface.
Electric Flux – Electric flux is a measure of the quantity of electric field lines passing through a given area.
Spherical Symmetry – The problem assumes spherical symmetry, which simplifies the calculation of electric flux.