Gauss's Law
Mediumphysics
A charge Q is placed at the center of a cube. What is the electric flux through one face of the cube?
Select the correct option:
Solution
Incorrect! Answer:
Q/(6ε₀)
- Gauss's Law: The total flux through a closed surface is Φtotal=Qnet/ϵ0.
- Identify Surface: The cube is a closed symmetric surface enclosing the charge Q.
- Distribute Flux: A cube has 6 identical faces. Since the charge is exactly at the center, the flux passes through each face equally (symmetrically).
- Calculate per Face:
- Φface=61Φtotal=6ϵ0Q.
- Inference: If the charge was on a corner, we would need 8 cubes to enclose it, resulting in a different distribution.
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About This Question
- Subject
- physics
- Chapter
- electrostatics
- Topic
- gauss's law
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Year
- 2025
Solution
Correct Answer:
Q/(6ε₀)
- Gauss's Law: The total flux through a closed surface is Φtotal=Qnet/ϵ0.
- Identify Surface: The cube is a closed symmetric surface enclosing the charge Q.
- Distribute Flux: A cube has 6 identical faces. Since the charge is exactly at the center, the flux passes through each face equally (symmetrically).
- Calculate per Face:
- Φface=61Φtotal=6ϵ0Q.
- Inference: If the charge was on a corner, we would need 8 cubes to enclose it, resulting in a different distribution.
This medium difficulty physics question is from the chapter electrostatics, covering the topic of gauss's law. It appeared in the 2025 exam.
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