
Electric flux is a fundamental concept in electromagnetism that helps us understand and quantify the electric field passing through a given surface. The unit of electric flux depends on the system of measurement being used. In the SI system, the unit of electric flux is the volt-meter (V·m) or newton-meter squared per coulomb (N·m²/C). In the cgs system, the unit of electric flux is esu.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | Electric flux is the property of an electric field that may be thought of as the number of electric field lines that intersect a given area. |
| Mathematical Representation | \(\begin{array}{l}\Delta \Phi_e = \overrightarrow{E}.\overrightarrow{\Delta A }</array>\) |
| Where | $\vec= \(electric field intensity,\)\overrightarrow{\Delta A} = $ vector area |
| Other Names | Lines of flux, Gauss lines |
| SI Unit | Volt-meter (V·m), Newton-meter squared per coulomb (N·m²/C) |
| CGS Unit | Dyne cm²/franklin ($esu)> |
| Dimensional Formula | [M1L3T−3A-1] |
| Formula | \(\Phi _{\text{E}}=\mathbf {E} \cdot \mathbf {A} =EA\cos \theta\) |
| Where | E = electric field, A = vector area |
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What You'll Learn

Electric flux is the property of an electric field
Electric flux is a property of an electric field that can be thought of as the number of electric field lines that intersect a given area. It is a measure of the distribution of the electric field or the rate at which the electric field flows through a given area. This term is used to describe the electric field strength at any distance from the charge causing the field.
The mathematical representation of electric flux is given by:
\< \co: 4>$\Delta \Phi_e = \overrightarrow{E}.\overrightarrow{\Delta A } \>
Where:
- \< \co: 4>$\vec{E}$ is the electric field intensity
- \< \co: 4>$\overrightarrow{\Delta A}$ is the vector area
The unit of electric flux depends on the system of units being used. In the International System of Units (SI), the unit of electric flux is volt-meters (V·m) or newton meter squared per coulomb (Nm^2/C). In the centimetre-gram-second (CGS) system, the unit is electrostatic units (esu).
The electric flux over a surface can be calculated using the surface integral:
\< \co: 10>$\Phi _{\text{E}}=\iint _{S}\mathbf {E} \cdot {\textrm {d}}\mathbf {A} \>
Where:
- \< \co: 10>$\Phi _{\text{E}}$ is the electric flux
- \< \co: 10>$\mathbf {E}$ is the electric field
- \< \co: 10>${\textrm {d}}\mathbf {A} \> is an infinitesimal area on the surface with an outward-facing surface normal defining its direction
For a closed Gaussian surface, the electric flux is given by:
\< \co: 3>$\Phi _{\text{E}} = \frac{Q}{\varepsilon_0}$\>
Where:
- \< $Q$ is the enclosed charge
- \< $\varepsilon_0$ is the electric constant (permittivity of free space)
The mathematical relationship between electric flux and enclosed charge is known as Gauss's law for the electric field, which is one of the fundamental laws of electromagnetism.
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The unit of electric flux is V-m or Nm^2/C
Electric flux is a fundamental concept in electromagnetism and physics. It is the property of an electric field that can be thought of as the number of electric field lines that intersect a given area. In other words, it is the total electric field that crosses a given surface. The unit of electric flux is V-m or Nm^2/C.
The SI unit of electric flux is the volt-meter (V⋅m) or, equivalently, the newton-meter squared per coulomb (Nm²/C). This unit represents the amount of electric field passing through a given area. One volt-meter (V⋅m) corresponds to the amount of electric flux passing through a unit area (1 square meter) perpendicular to an electric field with a magnitude of 1 volt per meter.
The CGS unit of electric flux is dyne cm²/franklin. The unit of electric flux in the mksi system is Vm, and in the cgs system, it is $esu$. The confusion over the unit arises because of the two different definitions of electric flux. If electric flux is defined based on $D=\epsilon_0 \epsilon E$ in place of $E$, then the unit is $C$.
Electric flux is directly proportional to the total number of electric field lines going through a surface. It is a measure of the distribution of the electric field or the rate of flow of the electric field through a given area. It is expressed using the Greek symbol Phi: Φ. Electric flux is also used to describe the electric field strength at any distance from the charge causing the field.
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Electric flux is a fundamental concept in electromagnetism
Mathematically, electric flux is represented as:
\[\Delta \Phi_e = \overrightarrow{E}.\overrightarrow{\Delta A } \]
Where:
- $\vec{E}$ is the electric field intensity
- $\overrightarrow{\Delta A}$ is the vector area
The electric flux over a surface is given by the surface integral:
\[\Phi _{\text{E}}=\iint _{S}\mathbf {E} \cdot {\textrm {d}}\mathbf {A} \]
Where:
- E is the electric field
- DA is an infinitesimal area on the surface with an outward-facing surface normal defining its direction
The SI unit of electric flux is the volt-meter (V·m) or, equivalently, newton-meter squared per coulomb (N·m^2·C^-1). In mksi units, the unit of electric flux is Vm, and in cgs units, it is esu. However, if you define electric flux based on $D = \epsilon_0 \epsilon E$ instead of $E$, then the unit is C.
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It is the total electric field that crosses a given surface
Electric flux is a term used in electromagnetism to describe the electric field strength at any distance from the charge causing the field. It is the total electric field that crosses a given surface. The concept was introduced by Michael Faraday, who referred to the field lines as 'lines of force'.
The electric flux over a surface is given by the surface integral, where E is the electric field and dA is an infinitesimal area on the surface with an outward-facing surface normal defining its direction. This is known as Gauss's law for electric fields in its integral form and is one of Maxwell's equations.
The unit of electric flux depends on the system of units used. In SI units, the unit of electric flux is V-m or V/m, while in cgs units it is esu. However, some sources state that the unit of electric flux is C, which arises from a different definition of electric flux.
The electric flux passing through a surface of vector area A can be calculated using the formula ΦE = EA*cos(θ), where E is the electric field, E is its magnitude, A is the area of the surface, and θ is the angle between the electric field lines and the normal (perpendicular) to A.
By dividing the surface into infinitesimal strips or patches, the flux through each individual section can be calculated and then added together to estimate the net flux through the entire surface. This method is known as the integral method and is required when the electric field is non-uniform.
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Electric flux is directly proportional to the total charge contained within a surface
Electric flux is a fundamental concept in physics, specifically in electromagnetism and electrodynamics. It is defined as the total electric field that passes through a given surface. The concept is closely related to the idea of electric field lines, which are used to pictorially represent the electric field surrounding an electric charge. These lines of flux, also known as Gauss lines, illustrate the strength and direction of the electric field.
The electric flux through a closed surface is directly proportional to the total charge contained within that surface. This relationship is described by Gauss's Law, which states that the electric flux (often denoted as Φ or Ψ) is equal to the total charge (Q) divided by the electric constant (ε0), or permittivity of free space: Φ = Q / ε0. This law allows us to calculate the net charge enclosed by a surface based on the electric flux passing through it.
The unit of electric flux depends on the system of units being used. In the International System of Units (SI), the unit of electric flux is the volt-meter (V⋅m) or, equivalently, the newton-meter squared per coulomb (N⋅m²/C). One volt-meter represents the amount of electric flux passing through a unit area (1 square meter) perpendicular to an electric field with a magnitude of 1 volt per meter.
In other systems, such as the centimetre-gram-second system (CGS), the unit of electric flux may be different. For example, in the CGS system, the unit of electric flux is given as esu, which is equivalent to the dyne centimetre squared per franklin (dyne cm²/Fr). The choice of unit depends on the specific definition of electric flux being used, particularly whether it is based on the electric field (E) or the electric displacement field (D).
It is important to note that the constant of proportionality between electric flux and charge may vary depending on the system of units involved. For example, in the SI system, the constant is unity, meaning that the electric flux is directly equal to the total charge contained within the surface.
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Frequently asked questions
The SI unit for electric flux is volt-meter (Vm) or newton-meter squared per coulomb (Nm²/C).
Electric flux is the property of an electric field that may be thought of as the number of electric field lines that intersect a given area. It is a fundamental concept in electromagnetism.
Electric flux is calculated by multiplying the electric field by the component of area perpendicular to the field. The formula for electric flux is:
> {\displaystyle {\textrm {d}}\Phi _{\text{E}}=\mathbf {E} \cdot {\textrm {d}}\mathbf {A} }
The unit for electric flux in the CGS system is esu.
If electric flux is defined as D=ε₀εE instead of E, then the unit for electric flux is C.










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