Gausss law and Applications

Topics to be covered: (i) Electric Flux / Flux Density (ii) Gausss Law
Reference: Hayt and Buck

Objective
To understand the concept of electric flux/ flux density and to apply the Gausss Law in electric field calculation

Faradays Experiment
charged sphere (+Q)

+ + +

metal insulator

Faradays Experiment (Contd)

Two concentric conducting spheres are separated by an insulating material. The inner sphere is charged to +Q. The outer sphere is initially uncharged. The outer sphere is grounded momentarily. The charge on the outer sphere is found to be -Q.

Faradays Experiment (Contd)

Faraday concluded there was a displacement from the charge on the inner sphere through the inner sphere through the insulator to the outer sphere.
The electric displacement (or electric flux) is equal in magnitude to the charge that produces it, independent of the insulating material and the size of the spheres.

Electric Displacement (Electric Flux)

+Q -Q

Electric (Displacement) Flux Density

The density of electric displacement is the electric (displacement) flux density, D.
In free space the relationship between flux density and electric field is

D 0 E

Electric (Displacement) Flux Density (Contd)

The electric (displacement) flux density for a point charge centered at the origin is

GAUSS LAW
The law was developed by Carl Friedrich Gauss, a German mathematician in the early 19th century. Gauss law states that the total flux out of a closed surface is equal to the net charge within the surface

The surface is called the Gaussian Surface

Introduction
Gausss law for the electric field:

Qnet closed by S E d S

How to apply Gausss Law in calculating electric field???

Points to be noted
Gausss Law is easier to apply than Coulombs Law. It is limited to symmetrical charge configurations.

At every point on the surface the direction of ds is outward normal to the surface & only the normal component of D contributes to the integral.

Applications of GAUSSs Law

Symmetrical charge distributions

Symmetrical charge distributions

Determine D if charge distribution is known. Choose a closed surface that satisfies two conditions:
1. D everywhere is normal/ tangential to the closed surface so that D.ds is either Dds or zero. 2. If D is not tangential then D is constant over that portion of the closed surface.

Symmetrical charge distributions

Hence replace the dot product of D.ds with product of scalars D & ds.

D. ds D . ds D ds
s s s

Derive the electric field intensity of an isolated point charge using Gausss Law
From Gauss law
Q D.ds
s

D.ds D ds
sph sph

r 2sin d d

4 r 2 D

Are there any other surfaces which would have satisfied our two conditions?

To determine the electric field of an infinite line charge using Gausss Law:

Closed right circular Cylinder: Gaussian surface

Electric field of an infinite line charge using Gausss Law

Application of Gausss Law : Differential Volume Element

Since surface element is small D is constant. Hence

The front face is at a distance of x/2 from P, hence

Dxo is value of Dx at P & a partial derivative is used to express the rate of change of Dx with x,

Combining the two integrals:

Exercise: