Flux of a Point Charge Inside a Cube: Part A & B

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Also, remember that the electric field (E) is the same at all points on a sphere. So you can just use one face to calculate the flux for all six faces. So the answer for Part A would be q/epsilon0. For Part B, you can use the same equation but with the new length, L1, substituted in for L. In summary, to calculate the electric flux through each of the six faces of a cube with a point charge at its center, you can use Gauss' law and the equation phi = q/epsilon0, where q is the magnitude of the charge and epsilon0 is the permittivity of free space. This holds true for any side length of the cube.
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Homework Statement



A point charge of magnitude q is at the center of a cube with sides of length L.

Part A
What is the electric flux Phi through each of the six faces of the cube?
Part B
What would be the flux [tex]\phi[/tex]through a face of the cube if its sides were of length L1?


Homework Equations



[tex]\phi[/tex]=Ea cos theta

[tex]\phi[/tex] = q/Eo

The Attempt at a Solution



Not sure of where to begin. Can someone show me how to tackle this?
 
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  • #2
Use Gauss' law. Remember that since the charge is at the cube's center, and all of the cube's sides are identical, the flux through one side is one-sixth the flux through the whole thing.
 
  • #3
(1/6)[tex]\epsilon[/tex]0/q?
 
  • #4
Close, but q is supposed to be on the top and epsilon at the bottom.
 

FAQ: Flux of a Point Charge Inside a Cube: Part A & B

1. What is the flux of a point charge inside a cube?

The flux of a point charge inside a cube is a measure of the electric field passing through the surface of the cube. It is given by the product of the electric field and the surface area of the cube.

2. How is the flux of a point charge inside a cube calculated?

The flux of a point charge inside a cube can be calculated using the formula Φ = E x A, where Φ is the flux, E is the electric field, and A is the surface area of the cube.

3. What is the significance of calculating the flux of a point charge inside a cube?

Calculating the flux of a point charge inside a cube is important in understanding the behavior of electric fields in a confined space. It can also be used to determine the amount of electric charge enclosed within the cube.

4. How does the flux of a point charge inside a cube change with the size of the cube?

As the size of the cube increases, the flux of a point charge inside the cube also increases. This is because the larger surface area allows for more electric field lines to pass through the surface, resulting in a higher flux.

5. Can the flux of a point charge inside a cube be negative?

Yes, the flux of a point charge inside a cube can be negative. This occurs when the electric field points in the opposite direction of the surface normal vector, resulting in a negative value for the flux.

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