Flux through distorted surface

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter gracy
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Flux Surface
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the calculation of electric flux through a distorted surface when a charge is located inside a cube. Participants explore the reasoning behind the flux being q/2ε0, contrasting it with the known flux through a cube face being q/6ε0. The conversation includes considerations of charge distribution and the properties of the medium surrounding the charge.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that if the source of the flux is within the cube and in the plane of the distorted surface, half of the flux would go upward and half downward.
  • There is a question about why an equal distribution of flux occurs, with one participant suggesting that if the distribution from the source is not equal, it must be known to solve the problem.
  • Another participant assumes the problem is solvable and deduces that the distribution is equal, as otherwise, it would complicate the problem.
  • One participant argues that since the medium is homogeneous, the flux will be uniformly distributed in all directions.
  • There is a challenge regarding the assumption of the medium being vacuum, as it is not explicitly stated in the problem.
  • Another participant points out that the presence of ε0 in the discussion implies a homogenous medium, suggesting that if the medium were not homogenous, additional information would be provided.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of the charge distribution and the properties of the surrounding medium. There is no consensus on whether the medium is indeed vacuum or how the flux distribution should be interpreted.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge limitations in the problem statement, particularly regarding the assumptions about charge distribution and the properties of the medium, which remain unresolved.

gracy
Messages
2,486
Reaction score
83
There is a distorted surface and the source of the flux is inside the cube

View attachment 93566

I have read that flux through it would be q/2ε0 I want to know Why?It is not my homework problem and I think it does not involve any calculation that's why I did not post it in homework section .There should be some basic reasoning behind it as in a cube flux through one of it's face is q/6ε0 because any of it's face would have 1/6th area .But what's going on here?
 

Attachments

  • H.png
    H.png
    6.8 KB · Views: 837
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
gracy said:
There is a distorted surface
View attachment 93565

I have read that flux through it would be q/2ε0 I want to know Why?It is not my homework problem and I think it does not involve any calculation that's why I did not post it in homework section .There should be some basic reasoning behind it as in a cube flux through one of it's face is q/6ε0 because any of it's face would have 1/6th area .But what's going on here?

So, the source of the flux was inside the cube.

If the source of the flux is within and in the plane of the circle then half the flux will go up into the surface and half will escape downward.
 
Hornbein said:
So, the source of the flux was inside the cube.
Yes.
 
ch.png
 
Hornbein said:
then half the flux will go up into the surface and half will escape downward.
But why equal distribution of flux takes place?
 
gracy said:
But why equal distribution of flux takes place?

I the distribution from the source is not equal, then we have to know what it is in order to solve the problem. I also assume the problem is solvable. Since we are not told what the distribution of the source is, I deduce it is equal, because otherwise the problem is not solvable.. These are just the sorts of conventions one has to deal with when solving toy problems of this type.
 
gracy said:
But why equal distribution of flux takes place?
Since the medium in which the charge is placed is homogenous (i.e. with same permittivity everywhere), flux will be uniformly distrobuted in all the directions.
 
cnh1995 said:
Since the medium in which the charge is placed is homogenous (here vacuum),
You mean medium surrounding the distorted surface is vacuum?But nothing such is mentioned.
 
gracy said:
You mean medium surrounding the distorted surface is vacuum?But nothing such is mentioned.
There's εo in your answer in #1. If the medium weren't homogenous, there would be something more given in the problem statement, as Hornbein said in #6.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Calculation of electric flux on trapezoidal surface
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Undergrad Why is the net flux through a closed surface equal to zero?
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
7K
Undergrad Motional EMF in Faraday disc, co-rotating magnet axial mean flux
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
Undergrad Another way of stating Gauss' law?
  • · Replies 83 ·
3
Replies
83
Views
5K
Undergrad Mutual inductance in a transformer
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
5K
Flux through a cylindrical surface enclosing part of a sphere
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
2K
High School Electric Flux - confused about integrating over a tilted area
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
High School Understanding Flux: The Measure of Field Lines Passing Through a Surface
  • · Replies 35 ·
2
Replies
35
Views
4K
Undergrad Electric flux through open surface
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
6K
Undergrad What is Electric Flux and How is it Calculated?
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
3K