General Physics II

Chapter 3: Gauss Law

We now want to quickly discuss one of the more useful tools for calculating the electric field,
namely Gauss law. In order to understand Gausss law, it seems we need to know the concept
of electric flux. We can image the flux as a volume rate of flow. We also can imagine the light
come out to the room is the same as the light come out from the light bulk.

Electric Flux
Flux comes from the Latin
word meaning flow. Field
lines roughly describe the
electric field strength. The
strength of electric field is
represented by the relative
number of field lines passing
through a unit area:
E number of field lines/area

i = E Ai = EAi cos
for
whole
surface:
= E Ai
Ai small dA for continuous surface
K K
Now we have =
E
v dA where is a whole surface
integral.
Example
Find the flux that exits a sphere centered at the origin due
to a point charge also at the origin. A small surface area on
a sphere is,
dA = r 2 sin d d r . Using the field due to the point
q
charge, E = k 2 r , the flux can be calculated from its
r
definition, E dA ,
q
2
k 2 r r sin d d r
r

2
q
= k q sin d d = 4kq =
o
0
0
Example
Find the flux due to a point charge over the surface of a
cube. Again start with the definition of flux,
E dA , and the field of a point charge,
q
E = k 2 r . This time however, the electric field and
r
the area element are not always parallel and the integral
is very difficult. But, we know that the number of field
lines that leave the charge is not affected by the shape
of some imaginary surface that surrounds the charge.

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dA

dA

General Physics II
That is, the same number of field lines exit the cube as exit the sphere in previous example so
q
the flux must again equal =
.
o
(Optional) In order to calculate flux through the cube due to point charge we can write the
electric field in Cartesian coordinate system:
G
q
xx + yy + zz
E=
40 ( x 2 + y 2 + z 2 )3/ 2
G
Let us calculate the flux through the upper surface. The surface area is dA = dxdyz , the the
flux is
q
zdxdy
upper =
3/ 2

2
40
(x + y2 + z2 )
I have evaluated this integral by using Mathematica( A computer program) and the result is
q
q
. We have six surface the the total flux is = .
upper =
60
0

GaussLaw
A formal statement of the relation between charge and flux is known as Gauss law.
The total electric flux emerging from an arbitrary volume equals the net charge
enclosed within the volume divided by 0 .
Gauss
Qenclosed
Law
E dA =

Gauss law is a powerful tool to calculate electric field. However, its only useful when E
can be taken outside of integral. That means electric field E is constant and symmetrical for
the chosen surface (e.g., the line is very long or the plane is very big, so that its no effect
from the edges) . For example, if E parallel dA and constant then
Q
E dA = E dA = enclosed

0
so now we can find electric field E easily by
Q
E = enclosed
0 dA

So the chosen surface is very important to make E || dA so E can be pulled out of the
integral!
For continuous charge distributions the enclosed charge can be written as:
Qenc = A d A for line, Qenc = s dS for surface, Qenc = v dv for vulume charge
distributions.
In summary, Gausss Law is usually used in either of two ways:
1) Given the field and the surface then enclosed charge can be found.
2) Given the enclosed charge and sufficient symmetry to choose a convenient surface, then
the field can be found.

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General Physics II
A note:
Conductor: A material in which electrons are completely free to move in response to applied
electric fields. In a conductor the electrons will move until they find a place where the field is
zero. Therefore, the field inside a conductor will always be zero, if you wait long enough for
the electrons to find these places. Typically, this takes microseconds.

Examples
Spherical symmetry
a) Given a conductor sphere of radius R with a total charge, Q, find the electric field
inside and outside the sphere.
Gauss surface
(imaginary)
R

Charge Q
distributed
over the
surface of
the
conductor!
Imagine a surface (not a real(physical) surface it is a mathematical surface) just inside the real
surface of the conductor over which we will apply Gauss Law. Since this "Gaussian surface"
is inside a conductor the charge inside the conductor is zero, therefore
G
q
E dA = 0 encl = 0 q encl = 0 . E = 0; r < R
o
The gaussian surface can be made arbitrarily close to the real surface.
r

Gauss surface
(imaginary)

Normal of the surface

paralel to the electric
field

Electric field outside the sphere can be calculated:

G G Q
Q
Q
2
E
S .dS = 0 E 4r = 0 E = 40 r 2 ; r > R .

b) A total charge, Q, is uniformly distributed

throughout a non-conducting sphere of radius, R. Find
the electric field inside and out. Sketch E vs. r.
The spherical symmetry means that E will be constant
over any concentric gaussian sphere and E will point
radially (parallel with dA). Therefore the flux integral
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Gauss surface
(imaginary)

E
3

General Physics II
in Gauss Law is,

E dA = E A = E(4r

) . For a gaussian sphere with r<R the

charge enclosed is proportional to the fraction of the volume of the real sphere that the
gaussian sphere occupies.
4
3
r3
q
r
3
q encl = 4 3 Q = 3 Q . Applying Gauss Law, E dA = enclosed ,
R
o
R
3
3

r Q
Qr
E=k 3 r<R
3
R
R o

E(4r ) =

For a gaussian sphere with r>R the charge enclosed is just the total charge, Q.
Q
Q
q
2
E = k 2 r > R This
Applying Gauss Law, E dA = enclosed E(4r ) =
o
r
o
field is just the field due to a point charge Q
at the origin. Notice the equations for the
fields inside and outside agree at r=R as they
must.

Q
k 2
R

12
r

r
R

Try the problems including electric fields of concentric spheres with various charge
distributions. i.e is charge distribution of a sphere is v = 0 (1 + r ) can you calculate electric
field inside and outside the sphere??
Cyclindrical symmetry
a) A very long thin wire has a linear charge density, A , uniformly distributed throughout
its length. Find the electric field as a function of the distance.

By symmetry the electric field must point

E
radially outward and it can only depend on r.
Therefore, the best gaussian surface is a
r
concentric cylinder of radius, r. Using Gauss
Law
G G qenc
1 L
.
2
E
dS
=

rL
=
A d A
S
0
0 0
L
A
E=
20 r
b) A very long non-conducting cylinder of radius, a, has a charge density, A ,
uniformly distributed throughout its volume. Find the electric field as a function of
the distance from the axis, r, and sketch a graph of E vs. r.

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General Physics II
By symmetry the electric field must point radially outward and it can only depend on r.
Therefore, the best gaussian surface is again a concentric cylinder of radius, r.
The flux integral in Gauss Law can be
E
broken up into three parts. One for each
a
r
surface shown,
s2
s3
s
1
E

dA
=
E

d
A
+
E

d
A
+
E

d
A

s1

s2

s3

L
The integrals over s1 and s2 are both zero
because the field is radial which means that
no flux exits these faces (E is perpendicular to dA). Over s3 E is constant and parallel to
G G q
q
dA so that integral is, E.dS = enc E 2rL = enc . Be careful when you calculate the
s3
0
0
enclosed charge. The total charge in a length L of the cylinder is: qL = A a 2 L . Then for
r<a the charge enclosed in the gaussian surface is, qenc = A L

A r
; r<a
20 a 2
For r>a the charge enclosed in the gaussian
surface is, qenc = A L . Applying Gauss Law,
a
G G qenc
A L
A
s3 E.dS = 0 E 2rL = 0 E = 20 r ; r > a
1
1
Note that the field falls off as not 2 as
r
r
you might expect. The equations for the
fields inside and outside agree at r=a as they
E
must.
Try yourself calculation of the electric field 2k
a
inside and out side the concentric cylinders!
Also try to the calculation of electric field of
r
conductor cylinder!

r 2 L
r2
. The electric
=

L
A
a 2 L
a2

field will be E =

E
r

s2

s3

s1

1r

Cartesian symmetry
A large metal plate of thickness, 2t, has a uniform charge density, . Find the electric
field as a function of the distance from the center of the plate, z.
By symmetry the E-field can only be a function of z and it must point directly away from
the plate. Inside the plate the field is zero because it is a conductor. Outside we can
choose the gaussian surface shown.
The surfaces s1 and s2 are the same arbitrary shape, parallel with the surface of the plate,
and equal distances from it. The gaussian surface is completed with the surface s3 which
is everywhere perpendicular to the surface of the plate. The flux leaving the gaussian
surface is,
E dA = E dA + E dA + E dA .
s1

s2

s3

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General Physics II
Since the field is only along the z-axis the integral over
s3 is zero. The magnitude of the field can only depend
on z, so the fields at s1 and s2 are equal and constant so
the integrals are straightforward,
E dA = EA + EA + 0 = 2EA
The charge enclosed in the gaussian surface is,
q encl = A . Applying Gauss Law,
G
q
A

E
v .dA = enc0 2EA = 0 E = 20

Try electric fields of the parallel plates with different

charge distributions.
Remember again
The Definition of Electric Flux E dA
q
Gauss Law E dA = enclosed
o
The Behavior of Conductors,
1) E=0 everywhere inside.
2) Excess charge stays on the surface.

3) E =
and perpendicular to the surface just outside.
o

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