Answer:
E/4
Explanation:
The formula for electric field of a very large (essentially infinitely large) plane of charge is given by:
E = σ/(2ε₀)
Where;
E is the electric field
σ is the surface charge density
ε₀ is the electric constant.
Formula to calculate σ is;
σ = Q/A
Where;
Q is the total charge of the sheet
A is the sheet's area.
We are told the elastic sheet is a square with a side length as d, thus ;
A = d²
So;
σ = Q/d²
Putting Q/d² for σ in the electric field equation to obtain;
E = Q/(2ε₀d²)
Now, we can see that E is inversely proportional to the square of d i.e.
E ∝ 1/d²
The electric field at P has some magnitude E. We now double the side length of the sheet to 2L while keeping the same amount of charge Q distributed over the sheet.
From the relationship of E with d, the magnitude of electric field at P will now have a quarter of its original magnitude which is;
E_new = E/4
