22 - Gauss's Law
22 - Gauss's Law
1. Learning Goals
3. Gauss’s Law
LEARNING GOALS
To calculate the amount of charge within a closed surface from the type of the electric
field on the surface.
The definition of electric flux, and the method to calculate it.
The Gauss’s law in electrostatics.
The use of Gauss’s law to calculate the electric field due to a symmetric charge
distribution.
The net electric flux through the surface of the box is directly proportional to the
magnitude of the net charge enclosed by the box. This is independent of the size of the box.
φ E = E . A = E A cos θ = E A
Case-I:
E and A are parallel (the angle between E and A is θ = 0 ).
The flux φ E = E . A = E A cos θ = E A
Case-II:
E and A are perpendicular (the angle between E and A is θ = 900 ).
The flux φ E = E . A = E A cos 900 = E A(0) = 0
φE = E . dA = E cos θ dA
Gauss’s Law:
Gauss’s law states that the total electric flux through any closed surface is equal 1/ε0 times the
net electric charge inside the surface.
q
φ E = enclosed
ε0
q enclosed
In general it can be written as φ E = E . dA = E cos θ dA = ε0
Let us consider a single positive point charge +q. The field lines radiate out equally in all
directions. We place this charge at the center of an imaginary spherical surface with radius R.
The magnitude of the electric field at every point on the surface is given by
1 q
E=
4 π ε0 R 2
At each point on the surface, is perpendicular to the surface, and its
magnitude is the same at every point. The total electric flux is:
φ E = E A cos θ = E A ( θ = 0)
1 q
φE = 2
4 π R2 =
q
4 π ε0 R ε0
• The flux is independent of the radius R of the sphere.
• It depends only on the charge q enclosed by the sphere.
Again the Gauss’s law also agrees with negative charge enclosed inside the surface
If q enclosed = q , then
q enclosed -q
φE = =
ε0 ε0
If q enclosed = 0 , then the total flux through the Gaussian surface is zero φE = 0 , even though
some areas may have positive flux and others may have negative flux.
Outside the sphere, the magnitude of the electric field decreases with the square of
the radial distance from the center of the sphere:
Inside the sphere, q enclosed = 0 , and Einside = 0
The electric field has the same magnitude at every point of the surface and is directed
outward.
φ E = E . A = E A cos 0 = E A
q
From the Gauss' law we have, φ E =
ε0
q q
EA = E =
ε0 ε0A
q 1 q 1 q
E = E = E out = (1)
ε0 4πr 2 4 π ε0 r 2 4 π ε0 r 2
1
Thus, the electric field outside the sphere is E out α
r2
1 q
E surface = (2)
4 π ε0 R 2
Charge q
= Constant = Constant
Volume V
q q V
= r qr = r q
V Vr V
4 3
πr r3
qr = 3 q q r = 3 q
4
πR 3 R
3
q net qr qr
φE = E inside A = E inside =
ε0 ε0 ε0A
r 3
R q
3
q
Einside =
3
Einside = r --------(3)
ε 0 4πr 2 4πε 0 R
Thus, Einside α r
The figure shows ‘E’ as a function of the distance ‘r’ from the center of the sphere.
Outside the sphere, the magnitude of the electric field decreases with the square of
1
the radial distance from the center of the sphere E out α 2 :
r
Inside the sphere, E varies linearly with ‘r’ Ein α r
On the sphere, Eon is constant and doesn’t depends on ‘r’
Conceptual Problem
Test Your Understanding: 22.2
Rank the following surfaces in order from most positive to most negative electric flux.
(i)
a flat rectangular surface with vector area A = 6 m2 ˆi in a uniform electric field
E = 4.0 N/C ˆj
(ii)
a flat circular surface with vector area A = 3 m 2 ˆj in a uniform electric field
E = 4.0 N/C ˆi + 2.0 N/C ˆj
(iii)
a flat square surface with vector area A = 3.0 m2 ˆi + 7.0 m 2 ˆj in a uniform electric
field E = 4.0 N/C ˆi - 2.0 N/C ˆj
(iv)
a flat oval surface with vector area A = 3.0 m2 ˆi - 7.0 m2 ˆj in a uniform electric
field E = 4.0 N/C ˆi - 2.0 N/C ˆj
You place a known amount of Charge ‘Q’ on the irregularly shaped conductor shown in the
figure. If you know the size and shape of the conductor, can you use Gauss’s law to calculate
the electric field at an arbitrary position outside the conductor?
Answer: no
While you know the flux through this Gaussian surface (by Gauss’s
law, it’s E = Q /ε0 ), the direction of the electric field need not be
perpendicular to the surface and the magnitude of the field need not
be the same at all points on the surface. It’s not possible to do the
flux integral and we can’t calculate the electric field. Gauss’s law is
useful for calculating the electric field only when the charge
distribution is highly symmetric.
In Class Problems
Example:22.2: Electric flux through a cube
An imaginary cubical surface of side L is in a region of uniform electric field E . Find the
electric flux through each face of the cube and the total flux through the cube when
Solution:
a) Figure-1 shows that each unit vector points outward from the
cube’s closed surface.
Each face of the cube has area L2, so the fluxes through the faces are
φ E1 = E . A = E . nˆ 1 A E L2 cos 1800 = -E L2
φ E2 = E . A = E . nˆ 2 A E L2 cos 00 = + E L2
φ E3 = φ E4 = φ E5 = φ E6 = E L2 cos 900 = 0
φ E1 = E . A = E . nˆ 1 A E L2 cos 1800 θ = - E L2 cos θ
φ E2 = E . A = E . nˆ A E L cos 0 + θ = + E L cos θ
2
2 0 2
φ E3 = E . nˆ A E L cos 90 + θ = - E L sin θ
3
2 0 2
φ E4 = E . nˆ A E L cos 90 - θ = + E L sin θ
4
2 0 2
φ E5 = φ E6 = E L2 cos 900 = 0
The total flux through the cube is
φ E φ E1 φ E2 φ E3 φ E4 φ E5 φ E6
φ E -E L2 cos θ +E L2 cos θ -E L2 sin θ +E L2 sin θ 0 0
φE 0
From the results of (a) and (b) it is clear that if a closed surface does not contains any
electric charge, then the net flux through it due to a uniform electric field is zero.
Solution:
φE = E . dA = E cos θ dA = E cos 0 dA dA
E 4πr 2
φE =
1 q
4 π ε0 r 2 0
2πr
A =
1 q
4 π ε0 r 2
4πr 2
q 3.0 x 10-6 C
φE = 3.4 x 105 N.m 2 .C-1
ε 0 8.85 x 10 C .N .m
-12 2 -1 2
From the above it is clear that the flux of is independent of the size of the surface. This result
also holds true for a cube. In fact, the flux through any surface enclosing a single point charge is
independent of the shape or size of the surface.
We place a total positive charge ‘q’ on a solid conducting sphere with radius R. Find electric
field at any point inside and outside the sphere.
Assignment Problems
22.14 A solid metal sphere with radius 0.45 m carries a net charge of 0.25 nC. Find the
magnitude of the electric field
a) at a point 0.10 m outside the surface of the sphere and
b) at a point inside the sphere, 0.10 m below the surface.
E out =
1 q
= 9 x109 N.m 2 .C-2
4 π ε0 r 2 0.55m
2
22.22 A point charge of -2.0 μC is located in the center of a spherical cavity of radius
6.5cm inside an insulating charged solid. The charge density in the solid is
ρ = 7.35 x 10-4 C/m3.Calculate the electric field inside the solid at a distance of 9.5 cm
from the center of the cavity.
Solution: Radius, r = 6.5 x 10-2 m, charge at the center of the cavity= = -0.2 μC = - 0.2 x 10-6C
ρ = 7.35 x 10-4 C/m3.
Radius of the Gaussian sphere = R = 9.5 x 10-2 m
4 π ε0 r 9.5 x 10 m
2 2
-2