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Multiple Choice
A uniform electric field points in the positive x direction and has a magnitude of . What is the net flux through a cube with sides ? The cube has one corner on the origin and the positive x, y, and z axes form three of its edges.
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Verified step by step guidance
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Understand that the electric flux (Φ) through a surface is given by the formula Φ = E · A · cos(θ), where E is the electric field magnitude, A is the area of the surface, and θ is the angle between the electric field and the normal to the surface.
Since the electric field is uniform and points in the positive x direction, consider the cube's faces that are perpendicular to the x-axis. These are the faces at x = 0 and x = 4.0 cm.
Calculate the area of one face of the cube. Since the side length of the cube is 4.0 cm, convert this to meters (0.04 m) and find the area A = (0.04 m)².
For the face at x = 0, the electric field is entering the cube, so θ = 180° and cos(θ) = -1. For the face at x = 4.0 cm, the electric field is exiting the cube, so θ = 0° and cos(θ) = 1.
Calculate the net flux through the cube by summing the flux through each face: Φ_net = E · A · cos(0°) - E · A · cos(180°). Substitute the values to find the net flux.