Question 23.5: Flux Due to a Point Charge A spherical gaussian surface surr...

Physics for Scientists and Engineers

Flux Due to a Point Charge

A spherical gaussian surface surrounds a point charge q. Describe what happens to the total flux through the surface if (A) the charge is tripled, (B) the radius of the sphere is doubled, (C) the surface is changed to a cube, and (D) the charge is moved to another location inside the surface.

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(A) The flux through the surface is tripled because flux is proportional to the amount of charge inside the surface.

(B) The flux does not change because all electric field lines from the charge pass through the sphere, regardless of its radius.

(C) The flux does not change when the shape of the gaussian surface changes because all electric field lines from the charge pass through the surface, regardless of its shape.

(D) The flux does not change when the charge is moved to another location inside that surface because Gauss’s law refers to the total charge enclosed, regardless of where the charge is located inside the surface.

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