Electrical Engineering ⇒ Topic : Electric flux

Electric Flux (Ψ)

Fig. (a) shows electric field between two equal and oppositely charged parallel plates. The electric field is considered to be filled with electric flux and each unit of charge is assumed to give rise to one unit of electric flux. The symbol for electric flux is the Greek letter Ψ (psi) and it is measured in coulombs. Thus in Fig. (a), the charge on each plate is Q coulombs so that electric flux between the plates is

                                                                  figure (a)

                                   Electric flux,Ψ = Q coulombs

Electric flux is a measure of electric lines of force. The greater the electric flux passing through an area, the greater is the number of electric lines of force passing through that area and vice-versa. Suppose there is a charge of Q coulombs in a medium of absolute permittivity ε (= ε_o ε_r) where ε_r, is the relative permittivity of the medium. Then number of electric lines