EMC Question of the Week: July 23, 2018
Gauss’ Law for magnetic flux, ∇∙B = 0, basically tells us that lines of magnetic flux
- have no beginning or end
- start and stop on electric charge
- are stronger in permeable materials
- are stronger in liquids
Answer
The correct answer is "a." In this equation, B is the magnetic flux density (a vector field). The divergence of a vector field is a measurement of how much the field strengthens or weakens at a given point. Unlike electric flux lines that grow stronger or weaker due to electric charge; lines of magnetic flux cannot grow stronger or weaker, because there is no magnetic equivalent to electric charge. Lines of magnetic flux always form complete loops.
For a given magnetic field strength, H, lines of magnetic flux are stronger in permeable materials. This is described by the constitutive relationship, B = μH.
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