Calculating Electric Flux Leaving a Sphere from Point and Line Charges

In summary, The problem involves a point charge of 20 nC at (4,-1,-3) and a uniform line charge of -25nC/m at the intersection of x=-4 and z=6. Part a is already solved and parts b and c involve calculating the electric flux leaving the surface of a sphere with radii 5 and 10, centered at the origin. The electric flux would not simply equal 20 nC as the line charge also needs to be taken into consideration.
  • #1
yoamocuy
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0

Homework Statement


A point charge of 20 nC is located at (4,-1,-3), and a uniform line charge of -25nC/m lies along the intersection of the planes x=-4 and z=6. (a) Calculate D at (3,1,0). (b) How much electric flux leaves the surface of a sphere of radius 5, centered at the origin? (C) Repeat part b if the radius of the sphere is 10.

Homework Equations


Q=total flux enclosed


The Attempt at a Solution


I've already solved part a without a problem but its b and c that are giving me trouble. I seem to be having problems with Gauss's law. A sphere of radius 5 seems like it would enclose the 20nC point charge so wouldn't electric flux simply equal 20 nC. The answer seems to be 0 though.
 
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  • #2
You didnt calculate the line charge enclosed by the sphere...
 

1. What is electric flux leaving a surface?

Electric flux leaving a surface is a measure of how much electric field passes through a given surface. It is a scalar quantity that represents the total number of electric field lines that pass through a surface.

2. How is electric flux leaving a surface calculated?

Electric flux leaving a surface is calculated by multiplying the electric field strength by the surface area, and then taking the cosine of the angle between the two vectors. The resulting unit is in volts per meter (V/m).

3. What is the SI unit for electric flux leaving a surface?

The SI unit for electric flux leaving a surface is volts per meter (V/m). It can also be expressed in other units such as newtons per coulomb (N/C) or tesla meter squared (T·m²).

4. How does the orientation of a surface affect electric flux leaving it?

The orientation of a surface directly affects the electric flux leaving it. When the surface is perpendicular to the electric field, the electric flux leaving the surface is at its maximum. However, when the surface is parallel to the electric field, the electric flux leaving the surface is zero.

5. What is the significance of electric flux leaving a surface?

Electric flux leaving a surface is an important concept in electromagnetism as it helps in understanding the behavior of electric fields. It is also used in various applications such as calculating the voltage across a surface or determining the charge enclosed by a surface.

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