Magnetic Flux And Electric Flux: 7 Facts You Should Know

The magnetic flux and electric flux are two different concepts but can be interdependent in electromagnetic fields and remains perpendicular to each other.

The magnetic flux is produced when the magnetic dipole gets aligned in the direction of the magnetic field while the electric flux is the penetration of the electric field lines due to the motion of the electric charges on the surface of the conducting material.

Is electric flux equal to magnetic flux?

The electric flux is not equal to the magnetic flux through the magnetic flux that can be produced due to the flow of electric charges.

The electric flux is equal to the net charges present in the conducting material through the permittivity of free space, while the magnetic flux is the total magnetic field lines penetrating through the area of the material.

The electric flux is produced due to the electric field. Also, the same is the case for a magnetic flux that is generated and produces the magnetic field through the area. The electric flux is produced due to the source of the electric charges and the electric field, while the magnetic flux is produced by the aligned dipoles and hence produces the magnetic field.

Similarities between Magnetic Flux and Electric Flux

Some of the similarities between the magnetic flux and the electric flux are as follows:-

The electric flux and magnetic flux are directly related to the area of the conductor.
The flux is the imaginary lines formed by the magnetic or electric field and are always close loops in the field.
The density and strength of the magnetic and electric field depend upon the number of flux lines penetrating through the unit area of the conductor.
The intensity of the respective fields depends upon the density of the flux lines through a unit area of the conducting material.
The magnetic flux lines are perpendicular to the electric flux in the conductor.
The electric flux and the magnetic flux experience the electromotive and magnetic force respectively on the dipoles constituting the material.

Differences between Magnetic Flux and Electric Flux

Though there are similarities between the magnetic flux and the electric flux and are sometimes inter dependent, there exists a difference between the magnetic flux and the electric flux. The difference between the magnetic and the electric flux is as follows:-

Magnetic Flux	Electric Flux
The magnetic flux forms close loops and all the loops are parallel to each other.	The electric flux forms a close loop in a close circuit while so is not always through.
The magnetic fluxes are imaginary lines across the conductor penetrating from one pole and emerging from another.	The electric flux flowing through the conductor is called current.
The flow of magnetic flux is opposed by reluctance.	The resistance in a circuit opposes the flow of current through the conducting surface.
The magnetic flux is measured in weber.	The electric flux is measured in Volts. Meter (V.m).
The magnetic flux determines the permanence of the magnetic field in the material and its magnetic properties.	The electric flux results in the conductivity of the material.
The magnetic flux density is measured as the total number of flux penetrating through the unit area.	The electric flux density is measured as the electric flux through the unit area.
The magnetic flux is intensified by adding the number of turns of a coil and is inversely proportional to the length of the conductor.	While the electric flux intensity is directly proportional to the potential difference and inversely related to the drift velocity of the charges.
The magnetic flux does not flow but it exists in the material in the form of close loops.	The electric flux flow in the circuit.
The power supply is required to generate the magnetic flux and does not require any external source to maintain it.	The power supply is needed for the continuous supply of current and to maintain it further.
Reluctant is completely dependent on the magnetic flux.	The resistance is independent of the electric flux until its temperature remains unchanged.
For magnetic flux, there is no insulation.	For electric flux, there are a number of insulators.
The magnetic flux has two poles.	The electric flux is induced around the static charged particles.
The magnetic flux exists in three dimensions.	The electric flux exists in two dimensions.

Do magnetic flux and electric flux have same unit?

The magnetic flux and electric flux are produced in different fields, that is, in the magnetic field and the electric field.

Since the magnetic flux and the electric flux are produced in two different scenarios, both cannot have the same units. The units of the magnetic flux and the electric flux depend upon the units of the magnetic field and the electric field respectively.

The magnetic flux is measured as the magnetic field times the area of the conductor. We know that the unit of a magnetic field is Tesla, which is also measured in terms of Weber as Weber per square meter. Since the magnetic flux is the product of the magnetic field and the square area, the unit of the magnetic flux becomes Weber.

magnetic flux and electric flux — **Magnetic flux through the plane sheet**

The same is mathematically shown below,

The electric flux is measured as the electric field times the area through which the electric field lines are penetrating through the conductor. The unit of the electric field is volts per meter and the unit of area is square of meter, hence the SI unit of electric flux will be,

This is the rendered form of the equation. You can not edit this directly. Right click will give you the option to save the image, and in most browsers you can drag the image onto your desktop or another program.

The units of electric flux is V.m.

Hence, we can see that the units of the electric flux and the magnetic flux are totally different from one another.

What are the formula of electric flux and magnetic flux?

The flux through the conducting material is the product of the type of the field and the square of the area through which it is propagating.

The formula to calculate the electric flux is

, θ is an angle between the normal of the plane of the conductor and the direction of electric field. While, the formula to calculate the magnetic flux is

, here also θ is the angle between the normal of the plane of the conductor and now the direction of the magnetic field.

What is the electric flux through the area of 0.16 m² kept in the field of 200 V/m if the angle made by the component with the flux is 30⁰?

Given: The area of the conductor is A = 0.16 m².

The electric field in the region is, E = 200 V/m.

The angle between the magnetic flux and the normal is, θ = 30⁰.

The formula to calculate the electric flux is,

Substituting the given values in this expression, we have:

m%20%5Ctimes%200.16%5C%20m%5E2%20%5Ctimes%200.8660%20%5C%5C%5C%5C%20%5Cphi%20 E%3D%2027.7%5C%20V

Hence, the total electric flux through the area of

What is the magnetic flux through the cylinder specimen of length and diameter of 0.2 mm and 0.1 mm respectively generating the magnetic field of 1 Tesla?

Given: The length of the cylinder is,

The diameter of the cylinder is,

Hence, the radius of the cylinder is,

$gif.latex?r%3D%5Cfrac%7Bd%7D%7B2%7D%3D%20%5Cfrac%7B0.1%20%5Ctimes%2010%5E%7B 3%7D%5C%20m%7D%7B2%7D%3D0$

The area of the cylindrical specimen is calculated using the formula,

Substituting the values in this formula, we get:

gif.latex?A%3D2%5Cpi%20%5Ctimes%200.05%20%5Ctimes%2010%5E%7B 3%7D%5C%20m%20%5Ctimes%200.2%20%5Ctimes%2010%5E%7B 3%7D%5C%20m%5C%5C%5C%5C%20%3D0.063%20%5Ctimes%2010%5E%7B 6%7D%5C%20m%5E2%5C%5C%5C%5C%20%3D6

The formula to calculate the magnetic flux is given as,

The magnetic flux is flowing through the poles of the cylinder and is in the direction of the field, hence θ =0

Substituting the given values in this formula, we get:

m%5E2%20%5Ctimes%206.3%20%5Ctimes%2010%5E%7B 4%7D%5C%20m%5E2%5C%5C%20%5Cphi%20 B%3D6

Hence, the magnetic flux through the unit area of the conductor is 6.3*10^{-4}.

Conclusion

The magnetic flux and the electric flux both speak about the penetration of the field lines through the conducting material but both are different and exist in magnetic and electric field regions respectively. The magnetic field lines form the perfect close loops but so is not observed in the electric flux.

Also Read:

AKSHITA MAPARI

Hi, I’m Akshita Mapari. I have done M.Sc. in Physics. I have worked on projects like Numerical modeling of winds and waves during cyclone, Physics of toys and mechanized thrill machines in amusement park based on Classical Mechanics. I have pursued a course on Arduino and have accomplished some mini projects on Arduino UNO. I always like to explore new zones in the field of science. I personally believe that learning is more enthusiastic when learnt with creativity. Apart from this, I like to read, travel, strumming on guitar, identifying rocks and strata, photography and playing chess.