Re: quantum of electric flux?

[Leigh Palmer <palmer@SFU.CA>]

If the surface in question is not closed then how do you define
it? If you mean the electric or magnetic flux through an arbitrary
surface then of course neither is quantized.

Leigh

> A surface does not have to be closed to define a flux.
> The same comment can be made for the message you
> posted 5 minutes later.
>
> Leigh Palmer wrote:
>
> > > Responding to this:
> > >
> > > > > Quantization would imply a finite number of field lines.
> > > > > How many electric lines does an electron produce?
> > >
> > > Leigh wrote:
> > >
> > > > Unlike magnetism, where a line is a measurement of flux, no
> > > > such unit exists for electric field. ...
> > >
> > > The surface integral of E, appearing in Gauss's law, is the
> > > flux. For example, the total flux into 4*Pi, or into a smaller
> > > solid angle. What makes it conceptually different from the
> > > surface integral of B?
> >
> > I don't know what you mean by conceptually different, but the
> > latter is always zero. That would seem to be a significant
> > difference.
> >
> > Leigh
> >
> > > I know that magnetic lines are always closed loops while
> > > electric lines begin and end on charges. But why should
> > > this be significant here?