SPRING 2018
Content
• Electric Flux
• Gauss’ Law
Electric Flux Φ𝐸 = 𝐸𝐴
Φ𝐸 = 𝐸𝐴𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃
Where is the angle between electric field and perpendicular to the surface.
Φ𝐸 = 𝐸. ∆𝐴
Φ𝐸 = 𝐸. 𝑑 𝐴
Φ𝐸 = 𝐸. 𝑑 𝐴
Φ𝐸 = 𝐸𝑛 𝑑𝐴
At (1), the field lines are crossing the surface from the inside to the outside; < 90o, Φ𝐸 is positive
At (3), the field lines are crossing the surface from the outside to the inside;180o > > 90o, Φ𝐸 is
negative
𝜙𝐸 = 𝐸. 𝑑𝐴 + 𝐸. 𝑑𝐴
1 2
For side 1:
For side 2:
𝐸. 𝑑𝐴 = 𝐸 𝑐𝑜𝑠0 𝑑𝐴 = 𝐸 𝑑𝐴 = 𝐸𝐴 = 𝐸𝑙2
2 2 2 Opposite to side 2
Net flux through the surface of the cube is zero .
The net charge 𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐 is the algebraic sum of all the enclosed
positive and negative charges; it can be equal to zero, positive,
and negative.
What is the electric flux through a sphere that has a radius of 1.0m and carries a charge of 1.0C at the center?
1. The value of the electric field can be argued by symmetry to be constant over the portion of the
surface.
2. The dot product can be expressed as simple algebraic product E dA because E and dA are parallel or
antiparallel.
3. The value of the dot product is zero because E and dA are perpendicular.
Each portion of the gaussian surface must satisfy at least one condition.
2. Determine the direction of the electric field and a “Gaussian surface” on which the magnitude of
the electric field is constant over portions of the surface.
3. Divide the space into different regions associated with the charge distribution. For each region
calculate qenc, the charge enclosed by the gaussian surface.
4. Calculate the electric flux 𝜙𝐸 through the gaussian surface for each region.
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐
5. Equate 𝜙𝐸 with , and deduce the magnitude of the electric field.
𝜀0
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐
Φ𝐸 = 𝐸. 𝑑𝐴 = 𝑄
𝜀0 (Outside the shell)
When r > a, 𝐸 = 𝑘𝑒 2
𝑟
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐
𝐸𝐴 = 𝐸 × 4𝜋𝑟 2 =
𝜀0
When r < a, 𝐸 = 0 (inside the shell)
𝑞
𝐸 = 𝑘𝑒 2
𝑟
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐 𝜙𝐸 = 𝐸 ∙ 𝑑𝐴 = 𝐸𝑑𝐴 =
𝜙𝐸 = 𝐸 ∙ 𝑑𝐴 = 𝐸𝑑𝐴 = 𝜀0
𝜀0
4 4
𝜌 × 3 𝜋𝑟 3 𝜌𝑟 𝑄 3 𝜋𝑎3 𝑄
𝑄 𝑄 𝑄 𝐸= = 𝑟 = 𝑘𝑒 3 𝑟
𝐸 4𝜋𝑟 2 = 𝐸= = 𝑘 𝑒 2 𝐸 4𝜋𝑟 2 = 3𝜀0 3𝜀0 𝑎
𝜀0 4𝜋𝜀0 𝑟 2 𝑟 𝜀0
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐 𝜆𝑙
𝐸. 𝑑𝐴 = =
𝜀0 𝜀0
𝜆𝑙
𝐸 × 2𝜋𝑟𝑙 =
𝜀0
𝜆 𝜆
𝐸= = 2𝑘𝑒
2𝜋𝑟𝜀0 𝑟
For a cylindrically symmetric charge distribution, electric field varies as 1/r, not as 1/r2
The plane of charge is infinitely large. The electric field should be the same
at all points equidistant from the plane.
𝑞𝑒𝑛𝑐 𝜎𝐴
Φ𝐸 = 2𝐸𝐴 = =
𝜀0 𝜀0
𝜎
𝐸=
2𝜀0
Since E is independent of distance from the flat end of the cylinder to the plane, it is uniform everywhere.
PROPERTIES:
• The electric field is zero everywhere inside the conductor – Whether the conductor is solid or hollow.
• The electric field just outside a charged conductor is perpendicular to the surface of the conductor and
has a magnitude of /0, where is the surface charge density at that point.
• On an irregularly shaped conductor, the surface charge density is greatest at locations where the radius
of curvature of the surface is smallest.
Choose a gaussian surface inside but close to the actual surface. The
electric field inside is zero.
There is no net flux through the gaussian surface.
Because the gaussian surface can be as close to the actual surface as
desired, there can be no charge inside the surface.
Since no net charge can be inside the surface, any net charge must
reside on the surface.
Gauss’s law does not indicate the distribution of these charges, only
that it must be on the surface of the conductor.
σA σ
E EA and E
εo εo