2 Electrostatics 2
2 Electrostatics 2
Gauss’s Law
Electric Flux
Electric flux is the
product of the
magnitude of the
electric field and the
surface area, A,
perpendicular to the
field
ΦE = EA
Electric Flux, General Area
The electric flux is
proportional to the
number of electric field
lines penetrating some
surface
The field lines may
make some angle θ
with the perpendicular
to the surface
Then ΦE = EA cos θ
Electric Flux, Interpreting the
Equation
The flux is a maximum when the surface is
perpendicular to the field
The flux is zero when the surface is parallel
to the field
If the field varies over the surface, Φ = EA
In general, this
becomes
Electric Flux, final
The surface integral means the integral must
be evaluated over the surface in question
In general, the value of the flux will depend
PLAY
ACTIVE FIGURE
Flux Through Closed Surface,
cont.
At (1), the field lines are crossing the surface from the inside
to the outside; θ < 90o, Φ is positive eg EACos 45
At (2), the field lines graze surface; θ = 90o, Φ = 0
At (3), the field lines are crossing the surface from the outside
to the inside;180o > θ > 90o, Φ is negative eg EACos 135
Flux Through Closed Surface,
final
The net flux through the surface is
proportional to the net number of lines
leaving the surface
This net number of lines is the number of lines
leaving the surface minus the number entering
the surface
IfEn is the component of E perpendicular to
the surface, then
Φ = ʃ En.dA
Flux Through a Cube, Example
The field lines pass
through two surfaces
perpendicularly and are
parallel to the other four
surfaces
For side 1,Φ1 = -El 2
For side 2, Φ2= El 2
For the other sides 3,4
Φ=0
Therefore, Φtotal = 0
Karl Friedrich Gauss
1777 – 1855
Made contributions in
Electromagnetism
Number theory
Statistics
Non-Euclidean geometry
Cometary orbital
mechanics
A founder of the German
Magnetic Union
Studies the Earth’s
magnetic field
Gauss’s Law, Introduction
Gauss’s law is an expression of the general
relationship between the net electric flux
through a closed surface and the charge
enclosed by the surface
The closed surface is often called a gaussian
surface
Gauss’s law is of fundamental importance in
the study of electric fields
Gauss’s Law – General
A positive point charge,
q, is located at the
center of a sphere of
radius r
The magnitude of the
electric field
everywhere on the
surface of the sphere is
E = keq / r2
Gauss’s Law – General, cont.
The field lines are directed radially outward and
are perpendicular to the surface at every point
Find E.
Tip : Remember linear charge density λ and
curved surface area of sphere
Field Due to a Plane of Charge
must be
perpendicular to the
plane and must have
the same magnitude at
all points equidistant
from the plane
Choose a small
cylinder whose axis is
perpendicular to the
plane for the gaussian
surface
Field Due to a Plane of Charge,
cont
is parallel to the curved surface and there is
no contribution to the surface area from this
curved part of the cylinder
The flux through each end of the cylinder is
Φ =2EA =q
in ϵₒ
q =σA
in
2EA = σA ϵₒ
E = σ 2ϵₒ
Note, this does not depend on r