Gauss's law for magnetism
Magnetism and matter · Physics
Electric field lab
Interactive 3DPlace charges and trace the field lines — like charges repel, opposites attract.
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Study notes
Consider a bar magnet placed inside a closed spherical surface. Let the total magnetic flux through the surface be denoted by Phi. According to Gauss's Law for Magnetism, the net flux is zero. Step 1: Identify that the magnet has North and South poles. Step 2: Recognize that magnetic field lines emerge from the North pole and enter the South pole. Step 3: Since the surface is closed, every line that exits the sphere from the North side must re-enter the sphere to reach the South pole, or vice versa. Step 4: Calculate the integral of the magnetic field vector dot the area vector over the entire surface. The result is 0. Thus, the net magnetic flux through any closed surface is always zero.