Units of Flux Density: Electric Field vs Displacement Vector

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the confusion surrounding the term "flux density" in relation to the displacement vector D, defined as D = (e0)E + P. The units of the displacement vector are C/m^2, which raises questions about its relation to electric flux and the electric field, as electric flux density appears to simplify to V/m, equivalent to the electric field. The conversation highlights the complexity of SI units, particularly how C/m^2 resembles surface charge density. Additionally, the application of Gauss's law in differential form clarifies that the divergence of D relates to charge density, reinforcing the unit C/m^2 for D. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the challenges of understanding SI units in the context of electric fields and displacement vectors.
gralla55
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While I do understand the use for the displacement vector D = (e0)E + P, I don't quite understand why they label it as "flux density". The units for the displacement vector are C/m^2. The units for electric flux are Vm, so wouldn't electric flux density become Vm/m^2 = V/m which is just equal to the electric field?

edit: C/m^2 just looks like surface charge density...
 
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For this reason, I hate the SI. It's totally unintuitive. Anyway, let's work through the dimensional analysis. According to Gauß's law, which reads in differential form
\vec{\nabla} \cdot \vec{D}=\rho,
where \rho is the charge density (i.e., charge per unit volume), which has the SI unit \mathrm{C}/\mathrm{m}^3 (Coulomb per cubic metre). The Nabla operator is a differential operator wrt. to space coordinates and thus has the unit 1/\mathrm{m}.

This implies that \vec{D} has the unit \mathrm{C}/\mathrm{m}^2.
 
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