Calculating electric flux with a constant electric field

In summary, the problem involves finding the electric flux through the bottom of a car traveling on a dry gravel roadway with a downward slope and a vertical electric field of magnitude 2 X 10^4 N/C originating from a thunderstorm. Using the equation Eflux = E*(A cos theta), where E is the electric field strength, A is the surface area, and theta is the angle between the electric field and the surface, the flux can be calculated as 89,329 Nm^2/C or 8.93*10^4 Nm^2/C. The brewing thunderstorm is not a factor in the calculation and the angle of the slope of the roadway does not affect the flux as long as the surface area exposed
  • #1
NewtonianAlch
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Homework Statement



A vertical electric field of magnitude 2 X 10^4 N/C exists above the Earth's surface on a day when a thunderstorm is brewing. A car with a rectangular size of 3.00 m by 1.50 m is traveling along a dry gravel roadway sloping downward at 7.0°. Determine the electric flux through the bottom of the car.

Homework Equations



Eflux = E*(A cos theta)

The Attempt at a Solution



(2*10^4)*(3*1.5)*(cos 7) = 89,329 Nm^2/C = 8.93*10^4 Nm^2/C

Is this correct? It seems pretty straightforward to me, but I can't help think that there is some trick in the question that I'm not seeing.

Flux through a surface perpendicular to the electric field obviously has cos 90 = 0 as the angle angle associated with it so it would just be Eflux = E*A, but there is an angle here, so it would simply be cos 7. Does the thunderstorm brewing have any bearing on the equations affecting the answer?
 
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  • #2
It seems the thunderstorm that is brewing is the source of the E field, and is just a little back story.

Have a quick thought about it. The X flux is the amount of X going through a surface area, correct?

If the field is uniform and verticle, will there be a difference between the flux through a horizontal surface A and a surface B, if surface B's horizontal componant of area (oh gawd did I just slaughter that phrase, but I hope you get my point) is the same as surface A?

For example, if there is a sheet area 1m by 3m held horizontally in a rain storm (assuming uniform verticle rain) will it's dry patch be the same area as a 1m by 5m sheet held at 53* (or whatever the angle in a 3,4,5 triangle is)?

So you are really just finding the surface area seen by the uniform field, then multiplying that by the strength of that field. It is very simple.
 

1. What is electric flux?

Electric flux is a measure of the amount of electric field passing through a given surface. It is represented by the symbol Φ and is measured in units of volts per meter (V/m).

2. How is electric flux calculated with a constant electric field?

Electric flux with a constant electric field is calculated by multiplying the magnitude of the electric field (E) by the area (A) of the surface that the field passes through and by the cosine of the angle between the electric field and the normal vector of the surface. The formula for calculating electric flux is Φ = E * A * cos(θ).

3. What is the unit of electric flux?

The unit of electric flux is volts per meter (V/m).

4. How does the direction of the electric field affect electric flux?

The direction of the electric field affects the electric flux by changing the angle (θ) between the electric field and the normal vector of the surface. The electric flux is maximum when the electric field is perpendicular to the surface (θ = 0) and minimum when the electric field is parallel to the surface (θ = 90 degrees).

5. What is the significance of calculating electric flux?

Calculating electric flux is important in understanding the behavior of electric fields and their impact on charged particles. It is also used in various applications such as determining the strength of electric fields in electronics and analyzing the behavior of electromagnetic waves.

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