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Emilio Pisanty
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As an alternative, if you really need to see the nuts and bolts in detail, the flux through the bottom face at finite $\delta$ and $L$ can actually be calculated exactly. This is most easily done in cartesian coordinates, which gives a few square roots in the denominator but nothing to be too scared of. Start, then with the following representation: \begin{align} \Phi &=\int_S \mathbf E\cdot\mathrm d\mathbf a = \int_{-\delta}^{L}\mathrm dx \int_{-\delta}^{L}\mathrm dy \frac{\frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0}(x,y,-\delta)\cdot(0,0,-1)}{ \left\|(x,y,\delta)\right\|^{3/2} } \\ & = \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \frac{\mathrm dx\:\mathrm dy}{ \left(x^2+y^2+\delta^2\right)^{3/2} }. \end{align} Here we use the fact that the inner integral is perfectly doable: $$ \int \frac{\mathrm dx}{ \left(x^2+\alpha^2\right)^{3/2} } = \frac{x}{\alpha^2\sqrt{x^2+\alpha^2}}. $$ Putting this into the above, we get \begin{align} \Phi &= \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \left. \frac{x}{ (y^2+\delta^2)\sqrt{x^2+y^2+\delta^2} } \right|_{-\delta}^{L} \mathrm dy \\ & = \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \left[ \frac{L}{ (y^2+\delta^2)\sqrt{y^2+L^2+\delta^2} } +\frac{\delta}{ (y^2+\delta^2)\sqrt{y^2+2\delta^2} } \right] \mathrm dy. \end{align} Similarly, this integral is also perfectly doable: $$ \int \frac{\mathrm dy}{ \left(y^2+\alpha^2\right)\sqrt{y^2+\beta^2} } = \frac{1}{\alpha\sqrt{\beta^2-\alpha^2}} \arctan\left( \frac{ \sqrt{\beta^2-\alpha^2}y }{ \alpha\sqrt{\beta^2+y^2} } \right) . $$

The result is then a bit messy, but you have an explicit form. In particular, then, you have \begin{align} \Phi &= \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \frac{1}{\delta} \arctan\left( \frac{ L y }{ \delta\sqrt{L^2+\delta^2+y^2} } \right) + \frac{1}{\delta} \arctan\left( \frac{ y }{ \sqrt{2\delta^2+y^2} } \right) \right]_{-\delta}^{L} \\ & = \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \arctan\left( \frac{ L^2 }{ \delta\sqrt{2L^2+\delta^2} } \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ L }{ \sqrt{L^2+2\delta^2} } \right) \right.\\ & \qquad \qquad \quad + \left. \arctan\left( \frac{ L }{ \sqrt{2\delta^2+L^2} } \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} } \right) \right]. \end{align}

This is nice because it's valid for all finite $\delta$ and $L$, but what we're interested in is the limit of this thing as $\delta/L\to 0$, so in that spirit it's best to rephrase it as

\begin{align} \Phi &= \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \arctan\left( \frac{ L/\delta }{ \sqrt{2+\delta^2/L^2} } \right) + 2\arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{1+2\delta^2/L^2} } \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} } \right) \right] \\ & \to \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \arctan\left( \frac{ \infty }{ \sqrt{2+0} } \right) + 2\arctan\left( 1 \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} } \right) \right] \\ & = \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \frac{\pi}{2} + 2\frac{\pi}{4} + \frac{\pi}{6} \right] = \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \times \frac{7\pi}{6} = \frac{7}{24} \frac{q}{\epsilon_0} . \end{align}

Of course, this agrees with the intuitive result from above (and, even more nicely, each term in that final sum has a direct and equal counterpart in the geometric decomposition from above).


As an alternative, if you really need to see the nuts and bolts in detail, the flux through the bottom face at finite $\delta$ and $L$ can actually be calculated exactly. This is most easily done in cartesian coordinates, which gives a few square roots in the denominator but nothing to be too scared of. Start, then with the following representation: \begin{align} \Phi &=\int_S \mathbf E\cdot\mathrm d\mathbf a = \int_{-\delta}^{L}\mathrm dx \int_{-\delta}^{L}\mathrm dy \frac{\frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0}(x,y,-\delta)\cdot(0,0,-1)}{ \left\|(x,y,\delta)\right\|^{3/2} } \\ & = \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \frac{\mathrm dx\:\mathrm dy}{ \left(x^2+y^2+\delta^2\right)^{3/2} }. \end{align} Here we use the fact that the inner integral is perfectly doable: $$ \int \frac{\mathrm dx}{ \left(x^2+\alpha^2\right)^{3/2} } = \frac{x}{\alpha^2\sqrt{x^2+\alpha^2}}. $$ Putting this into the above, we get \begin{align} \Phi &= \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \left. \frac{x}{ (y^2+\delta^2)\sqrt{x^2+y^2+\delta^2} } \right|_{-\delta}^{L} \mathrm dy \\ & = \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \int_{-\delta}^{L} \left[ \frac{L}{ (y^2+\delta^2)\sqrt{y^2+L^2+\delta^2} } +\frac{\delta}{ (y^2+\delta^2)\sqrt{y^2+2\delta^2} } \right] \mathrm dy. \end{align} Similarly, this integral is also perfectly doable: $$ \int \frac{\mathrm dy}{ \left(y^2+\alpha^2\right)\sqrt{y^2+\beta^2} } = \frac{1}{\alpha\sqrt{\beta^2-\alpha^2}} \arctan\left( \frac{ \sqrt{\beta^2-\alpha^2}y }{ \alpha\sqrt{\beta^2+y^2} } \right) . $$

The result is then a bit messy, but you have an explicit form. In particular, then, you have \begin{align} \Phi &= \frac{q\delta}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \frac{1}{\delta} \arctan\left( \frac{ L y }{ \delta\sqrt{L^2+\delta^2+y^2} } \right) + \frac{1}{\delta} \arctan\left( \frac{ y }{ \sqrt{2\delta^2+y^2} } \right) \right]_{-\delta}^{L} \\ & = \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \arctan\left( \frac{ L^2 }{ \delta\sqrt{2L^2+\delta^2} } \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ L }{ \sqrt{L^2+2\delta^2} } \right) \right.\\ & \qquad \qquad \quad + \left. \arctan\left( \frac{ L }{ \sqrt{2\delta^2+L^2} } \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} } \right) \right]. \end{align}

This is nice because it's valid for all finite $\delta$ and $L$, but what we're interested in is the limit of this thing as $\delta/L\to 0$, so in that spirit it's best to rephrase it as

\begin{align} \Phi &= \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \arctan\left( \frac{ L/\delta }{ \sqrt{2+\delta^2/L^2} } \right) + 2\arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{1+2\delta^2/L^2} } \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} } \right) \right] \\ & \to \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \arctan\left( \frac{ \infty }{ \sqrt{2+0} } \right) + 2\arctan\left( 1 \right) + \arctan\left( \frac{ 1 }{ \sqrt{3} } \right) \right] \\ & = \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \left[ \frac{\pi}{2} + 2\frac{\pi}{4} + \frac{\pi}{6} \right] = \frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0} \times \frac{7\pi}{6} = \frac{7}{24} \frac{q}{\epsilon_0} . \end{align}

Of course, this agrees with the intuitive result from above (and, even more nicely, each term in that final sum has a direct and equal counterpart in the geometric decomposition from above).

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Emilio Pisanty
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No, that small cube is very unlikely to help you much. The keyway to do this is to realize thatre-scale the problem, by considering the electric flux through the base of a surface fromcube of length $L$, caused by a point charge at $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$, while $\delta$ stays constant and $L$ becomes much larger than $\delta$. Thus, we have a situation rather like the following, except that we want the flux through the gray surface as its long dimension becomes infinite.

Mathematica graphics

This is best done by splitting the surface in the four marked sectors, each of which can be calculated exactly. The easiest place to start is with the small, square sector:

Mathematica graphics

The flux through this sector is exactly equal to the solid angle subtended by this square at the point charge, and that is easy to calculate by symmetry: it is exactly one third of the surface subtends atsolid angle subtended by the three equivalent faces of the small cube of dimensions $\delta,\delta,\delta$ between the point charge and the vertex of the larger cube. You can see this by filling out that cubelet:

Here's one roughly similar calculation:Mathematica graphics

ConsiderIn turn, the face onsolid angle subtended by this smaller cube is one eighth of the $x,y$ plane$4\pi$ subtended by the full cube, and putso the charge on $(0,0,\delta)$solid angle subtended by the single face is exactly $$ \frac13 \frac18 4\pi = \frac \pi6. $$

Next up, since nothing discontinuous happens there.take one of the two long sectors:

Mathematica graphics

For finite (In contrast$L$ this is a bit of a pain to calculate, because you cannot put it on the plane, ans similarly that position won't workneed to account for the other two faces.) Fromfact that the charge's perspectivesector ends at some point, it is sitting a finite distance on top ofbut in the exact corner of$L\gg \delta$ limit that small bit will converge to a very large squarepoint, soand you can just use that face subtends aboutin your calculations. Once you do that, calculating this bit is easy: this is just one quarterhalf (instead of one halfthird) of the total $4\pi$that fundamental flux of solid angle around it (and$\frac18 4\pi$ through unit cubelets, a fact that figure doesn't depend much on movingyou can see by matching this sector with its $x$ or $y$ coordinatesmirror image:

Mathematica graphics

Thus, each long sector subtends a bit)solid angle $$ \frac12 \frac18 4\pi = \frac\pi4 $$ at the point charge, and taken together they subtend a solid angle $\frac18 4\pi = \pi/2$.

Finally, you have the large square sector, which looks something like this:

Mathematica graphics

It is thenshould be clear that for you to figure out how muchfinite $L$ the solid angle it subtends is subtended by the three faces that don't touch that cornera fairly messy object (which is fairly easy, by symmetry, since those faces don't care that much aboutthough you can probably still calculate it). In the positionlimit of the charge)$L\gg \delta$, how much total fluxhowever, this calculation givesbecomes very easy, and whether that limit is requiredbecause it just reduces to match either the total flux for finite $\delta$ orsolid angle subtended by one of the total flux at exactly $\delta=0$cubelets, i.e. to (That's a bit$\frac18 4\pi$.

Putting all of a trick questionthis together, to be honest withthen, you. Is get that in the limit defined rigorously enough toof $L\gg \delta$ the lower face should subtend a solid angle of $$ \left( \frac13 +2{\times}\frac12 + 1\right) \frac18 4\pi = \frac{7\pi}{6}. $$ Does this make sense?)


The calculation above has some pretty cool features Well, but it doesn't quite matchthere are three equivalent faces to the stipulationsbase of your problemthe large cube, which require thatso if you put all of those together you get a combined solid angle of $$ 3\times \frac{7\pi}{6} = \frac{7\pi}{2} $$ for the charge exactly at $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$three nearby faces, and then take that separation to zero. This will affect how the charge sees the baseleaves a total solid angle of $$ 4\pi-\frac{7\pi}{2} = \frac{\pi}{2} $$ for the cube when $L/\delta$three far-away faces. Is that reasonable? Yes, very much: it is large (forexactly the $L$$\frac18 4\pi$ solid angle subtended by the sidethree far-away faces of the cube), which will again be a simple geometric shape, incorporating some piecescubelet as seen from one of a tiny cube similar to yoursits vertices, whose subtended solid angle you can calculate. This resultand this is much more likelyprecisely what the other three faces look like to give you a consistent limit$(\delta,\delta,\delta)$ as $\delta\to0$ and the point just blends with the vertex at $(0,0,0)$.


The Mathematica notebook used to produce the images in this post is available through Import["http://goo.gl/NaH6rM"]["https://i.sstatic.net/bcsC4.png"].

No, that small cube is very unlikely to help you much. The key is to realize that the flux through a surface from a point charge is exactly equal to the solid angle that the surface subtends at the charge.

Here's one roughly similar calculation:

Consider the face on the $x,y$ plane, and put the charge on $(0,0,\delta)$, since nothing discontinuous happens there. (In contrast, you cannot put it on the plane, ans similarly that position won't work for the other two faces.) From the charge's perspective, it is sitting a finite distance on top of the exact corner of a very large square, so that face subtends about one quarter of one half of the total $4\pi$ of solid angle around it (and that figure doesn't depend much on moving its $x$ or $y$ coordinates a bit).

It is then for you to figure out how much solid angle is subtended by the three faces that don't touch that corner (which is fairly easy, by symmetry, since those faces don't care that much about the position of the charge), how much total flux this calculation gives, and whether that limit is required to match either the total flux for finite $\delta$ or the total flux at exactly $\delta=0$. (That's a bit of a trick question, to be honest with you. Is that limit defined rigorously enough to make sense?)


The calculation above has some pretty cool features, but it doesn't quite match the stipulations of your problem, which require that you put the charge exactly at $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$, and then take that separation to zero. This will affect how the charge sees the base of the cube when $L/\delta$ is large (for $L$ the side of the cube), which will again be a simple geometric shape, incorporating some pieces of a tiny cube similar to yours, whose subtended solid angle you can calculate. This result is much more likely to give you a consistent limit.

The way to do this is to re-scale the problem, by considering the electric flux through the base of a cube of length $L$, caused by a point charge at $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$, while $\delta$ stays constant and $L$ becomes much larger than $\delta$. Thus, we have a situation rather like the following, except that we want the flux through the gray surface as its long dimension becomes infinite.

Mathematica graphics

This is best done by splitting the surface in the four marked sectors, each of which can be calculated exactly. The easiest place to start is with the small, square sector:

Mathematica graphics

The flux through this sector is exactly equal to the solid angle subtended by this square at the point charge, and that is easy to calculate by symmetry: it is exactly one third of the solid angle subtended by the three equivalent faces of the small cube of dimensions $\delta,\delta,\delta$ between the point charge and the vertex of the larger cube. You can see this by filling out that cubelet:

Mathematica graphics

In turn, the solid angle subtended by this smaller cube is one eighth of the $4\pi$ subtended by the full cube, so the solid angle subtended by the single face is exactly $$ \frac13 \frac18 4\pi = \frac \pi6. $$

Next up, take one of the two long sectors:

Mathematica graphics

For finite $L$ this is a bit of a pain to calculate, because you need to account for the fact that the sector ends at some point, but in the $L\gg \delta$ limit that small bit will converge to a point, and you can just use that in your calculations. Once you do that, calculating this bit is easy: this is just one half (instead of one third) of that fundamental flux of $\frac18 4\pi$ through unit cubelets, a fact that you can see by matching this sector with its mirror image:

Mathematica graphics

Thus, each long sector subtends a solid angle $$ \frac12 \frac18 4\pi = \frac\pi4 $$ at the point charge, and taken together they subtend a solid angle $\frac18 4\pi = \pi/2$.

Finally, you have the large square sector, which looks something like this:

Mathematica graphics

It should be clear that for finite $L$ the solid angle it subtends is a fairly messy object (though you can probably still calculate it). In the limit of $L\gg \delta$, however, this becomes very easy, because it just reduces to the solid angle subtended by one of the cubelets, i.e. to $\frac18 4\pi$.

Putting all of this together, then, you get that in the limit of $L\gg \delta$ the lower face should subtend a solid angle of $$ \left( \frac13 +2{\times}\frac12 + 1\right) \frac18 4\pi = \frac{7\pi}{6}. $$ Does this make sense? Well, there are three equivalent faces to the base of the large cube, so if you put all of those together you get a combined solid angle of $$ 3\times \frac{7\pi}{6} = \frac{7\pi}{2} $$ for the three nearby faces, and that leaves a total solid angle of $$ 4\pi-\frac{7\pi}{2} = \frac{\pi}{2} $$ for the three far-away faces. Is that reasonable? Yes, very much: it is exactly the $\frac18 4\pi$ solid angle subtended by the three far-away faces of a cubelet as seen from one of its vertices, and this is precisely what the other three faces look like to $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$ as $\delta\to0$ and the point just blends with the vertex at $(0,0,0)$.


The Mathematica notebook used to produce the images in this post is available through Import["http://goo.gl/NaH6rM"]["https://i.sstatic.net/bcsC4.png"].

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Emilio Pisanty
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No, that small cube is very unlikely to help you much. The key is to realize that the flux through a surface from a point charge is exactly equal to the solid angle that the surface subtends at the charge.

If you considerHere's one roughly similar calculation:

Consider the face on the $x,y$ plane, then it's OK toand put the charge on $(0,0,\delta)$, since nothing discontinuous happens there. (In contrast, you cannot put it on the plane, ans similarly that position won't work for the other two faces.) From the charge's perspective, it is sitting a finite distance on top of the exact corner of a very large square, so that face subtends about one quarter of one half of the total $4\pi$ of solid angle around it (and that figure doesn't depend much on moving its $x$ or $y$ coordinates a bit).

It is then for you to figure out how much solid angle is subtended by the three faces that don't touch that corner (which is fairly easy, by symmetry, since those faces don't care that much about the position of the charge), how much total flux this calculation gives, and whether that limit is required to match either the total flux for finite $\delta$ or the total flux at exacltyexactly $\delta=0$. (That's a bit of a trick question, to be honest with you. Is that limit defined rigorously enough to make sense?)


The calculation above has some pretty cool features, but it doesn't quite match the stipulations of your problem, which require that you put the charge exactly at $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$, and then take that separation to zero. This will affect how the charge sees the base of the cube when $L/\delta$ is large (for $L$ the side of the cube), which will again be a simple geometric shape, incorporating some pieces of a tiny cube similar to yours, whose subtended solid angle you can calculate. This result is much more likely to give you a consistent limit.

No, that small cube is very unlikely to help you. The key is to realize that the flux through a surface from a point charge is exactly equal to the solid angle that the surface subtends at the charge.

If you consider the face on the $x,y$ plane, then it's OK to put the charge on $(0,0,\delta)$, since nothing discontinuous happens there. (In contrast, you cannot put it on the plane, ans similarly that position won't work for the other two faces.) From the charge's perspective, it is sitting a finite distance on top of the exact corner of a very large square, so that face subtends about one quarter of one half of the total $4\pi$ of solid angle around it (and that figure doesn't depend much on moving its $x$ or $y$ coordinates a bit).

It is then for you to figure out how much solid angle is subtended by the three faces that don't touch that corner (which is fairly easy, by symmetry, since those faces don't care that much about the position of the charge), how much total flux this calculation gives, and whether that limit is required to match either the total flux for finite $\delta$ or the total flux at exaclty $\delta=0$.

No, that small cube is very unlikely to help you much. The key is to realize that the flux through a surface from a point charge is exactly equal to the solid angle that the surface subtends at the charge.

Here's one roughly similar calculation:

Consider the face on the $x,y$ plane, and put the charge on $(0,0,\delta)$, since nothing discontinuous happens there. (In contrast, you cannot put it on the plane, ans similarly that position won't work for the other two faces.) From the charge's perspective, it is sitting a finite distance on top of the exact corner of a very large square, so that face subtends about one quarter of one half of the total $4\pi$ of solid angle around it (and that figure doesn't depend much on moving its $x$ or $y$ coordinates a bit).

It is then for you to figure out how much solid angle is subtended by the three faces that don't touch that corner (which is fairly easy, by symmetry, since those faces don't care that much about the position of the charge), how much total flux this calculation gives, and whether that limit is required to match either the total flux for finite $\delta$ or the total flux at exactly $\delta=0$. (That's a bit of a trick question, to be honest with you. Is that limit defined rigorously enough to make sense?)


The calculation above has some pretty cool features, but it doesn't quite match the stipulations of your problem, which require that you put the charge exactly at $(\delta,\delta,\delta)$, and then take that separation to zero. This will affect how the charge sees the base of the cube when $L/\delta$ is large (for $L$ the side of the cube), which will again be a simple geometric shape, incorporating some pieces of a tiny cube similar to yours, whose subtended solid angle you can calculate. This result is much more likely to give you a consistent limit.

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Emilio Pisanty
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