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Chapter 24

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36 views22 pages

Chapter 24

Uploaded by

Muhammad Saqib Baig
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Chapter 24

Electric field lines for point


charges observed by dipping
grass seed in insulating liquid.
The seed act as electric dipole
that tends to align with local
electric field
Why to use Gauss’ Law?
Electric field calculation in the previous chapter was fairly simple as
charge distribution consists of an arrangement of just a few point
charges

Such calculations will become complicated if charge is distributed


over a surface or volume
• Summation of individual electric field vectors from each charge would
become difficult

Gauss’ Law simplifies the calculation of electric field provided that


charge distribution is symmetric
Electric Flux
The electric flux E through the surface is
defined as the product of the area A and the
normal component of the electric field

ɸE = E⊥ A

The SI unit for electric flux is the unit of


electric field times the unit of area, that is,
(𝑁/𝐶). 𝑚2 , or 𝑁. 𝑚2 /𝐶.
Electric Flux
Lets suppose the rectangular shaped
surface is placed in a constant electric field
E.
This E field makes some angle with the
surface
The normal component 𝑬 can also be
expressed as 𝑬𝒄𝒐𝒔𝜽, where is the angle
between E and a perpendicular to the
surface:
Interpretations
So Electric flux is…

The number of electric field lines penetrating some surface

The Electric flux ɸE through an area A is proportional to the number


of field lines intercepted by that area

ɸE = EA cosθ
Special Cases
𝜃 = 90 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒

𝜃 = 0 𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒

ɸE = EA cosθ
Quiz 3 (CLO-2)
A small charge of -2.0×10-8 C is at the point x = 2.0 m, y = 0 on the x-axis. A second
small charge of -3.0×10-6 C is at the point x = 0, y = -3.0 m on the y-axis (see Fig).

1) What is the electric force that the first charge exerts on the second charge? Express
your answers as vectors, with x and y components. (7 marks)
2) What is the magnitude of electric field that the second charge exerts at a point
charge placed at the origin? (3 marks)
y

2m
x
3m -2.0×10-8 C

-3.0×10-6 C
Dot Product form

the Electric field vector E The vector A is defined with


a magnitude equal to the
ordinary surface area A and a
direction perpendicular to
the surface.
For the 3D surface

ෝ is a normal unit vector


𝐧
Electric flux for arbitrary surface

If the surface of interest consists of several flat areas, each


intercepting a uniform field E, then the total flux is simply given
by the sum of the fluxes through each flat area,
General Case
The surface can be regarded as consisting of
many small (infinitesimal) flat
pieces. For a small piece with a vector area 𝒅𝑨
in an electric field E, the contribution to the
electric flux is 𝑬. 𝒅𝑨

Taking the sum, or integral, of all these small


electric flux for all small pieces of surface, we
can obtain electric flux through the entire
surface
Electric flux for a closed surface
The definition of flux is also valid for a closed surface, such as the
surface of a sphere or the surface of a cube. The electric flux through
such a surface is

Sign convention for the normal component E is reckoned as positive if the


electric flux in case direction of the electric field E is outward from the
of closed surface surface, and negative if E is inward, into the surface.
Electric flux can be negative!
The electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the net
number of field lines emerging from the surface.

The electric flux will be positive or negative depending on whether


more field lines emerge from the surface or enter the surface.
Example 1
A flat sheet of paper measuring 22 cm × 28 cm is placed in a uniform electric field
of 100 N/C. What is the flux through the paper if the paper makes an angle of 90
degree with the electric field? If the paper makes an angle of 30 degree?
Example 2
Consider an imaginary sphere of radius r
which has a positive point charge q at its
center (see Fig). What electric flux does
the electric field of this point charge
produce through the surface of the
sphere?
Example 3
Consider a cube of side a = 2.0 m with one
corner at (x, y, z) = (1.0 m, 0, 0) and its
sides parallel to the axes as shown in the
Fig. The cube is in a region where the
electric field points everywhere in the +x
direction. The magnitude of this electric
field varies as a function of x only, and has
the values Ex = 5.0 N/C at x = 1.0 m and Ex
= 15 N/C at x = 3.0 m. What is the electric
flux through the cube?
Gauss’ Law
The total flux passing through any closed surface is equal to the
charged enclosed in it.

That closed surface is called Gaussian surface

If an arbitrary closed surface has a net electric charge Q inside within
it, then the electric flux through the surface is 𝑄inside /∈𝑜 , that is,
Questions
Given that a closed surface has zero electric
flux through it, what can you conclude about
the electric charge inside the surface?
Applications of Gauss’ Law
We have three types of uniform continuous charge distributions,
(lambda) is the charge per unit length in
coulombs per meter,

(sigma) is the charge per unit area in


coulombs per square meter
(rho) is the charge per unit volume
in coulombs per cubic mete
Spherical Symmetry Example
A spherical region of radius R has a total charge Q
distributed uniformly throughout the volume of this region.
(a) What is the electric field at points inside the sphere?
(b) What is the electric field at points outside the sphere?
Example 6
A uranium nucleus (charge +92e) is (approximately) a uniformly
charged sphere of radius 7.4 × 10−15 m. What is the electric field
inside a uranium nucleus at a point halfway from the center to the
surface? What is the radial electric force if such a field acts on a proton
at the same point?
Cylindrical Symmetry
Using Gauss’ Law, find the electric field
of an infinitely long, thin straight rod
of charge, with a uniform linear charge
density λ.

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