Electric field lines and electric flux are not the same; field lines represent the direction and strength of the electric field, while flux quantifies the number of field lines passing through a surface. Electric flux is calculated by taking the dot product of the electric field at each point on a surface and integrating it over that surface. Both electric and magnetic flux are scalar quantities, despite the field lines being vector representations. Understanding the distinction between these concepts is crucial for grasping electromagnetic theory. The discussion emphasizes the importance of recognizing the different roles of field lines and flux in physics.