Gauss Law

Flux of a Vector Field

Flux of the Electric Field
Gauss Law
A Charged isolated conductor
Applications of Gauss law
1

Flux

The word flux comes from the latin

word meaning to flow

For a vector filed flux is the number of

lines passing through a surface

Flux of a vector field

Vector field
Velocity field of a flowing fluid
The velocity field is a representation of a fluid flow
Field itself is not flowing but is a fixed representation of the
flow
Velocity field
P
Water flow

In the velocity field of a water flow point p represents the

3
flow of water (fluid)

Electric flux
Given a chare distribution we can determine an electric field
at a point using coulomb s law
E = F
q
Where the total field E is the vector
sum of all the fields due to all the point
charges at point P

E
P

Alternatively if an electric field E is given we can determine

the charge distribution
To fined out the charge distribution we need to know the
electric flux and Gausss law

Electric flux
Number of electric lines of force passing through a surface
of area A perpendicular to the electric field E

E
A

Mathematically it is the product of the surface area A and

the component of the electric field E perpendicular to the
surface

E = EA Nm2 /C
5

Electric flux
Empty enclosed surface no electric field
No flux
E
Electric field
Positive charge
+q
directed outward
enclosed
Outward flux
E
Negative charge
enclosed

-q

Electric field
directed inward
Inward flux
6

Electric flux
+

In this case the box is placed inside an electric field of

some out side charge distribution
Again here the net flux is zero, because the number of lines
entering the box is exactly the same as leaving the box
7

Electric flux
E

E
+q

+2q

Electric flux through a surface is directly proportional to the

magnitude of charges enclosed by that surface
8

Electric flux
The electric flux increases:
with A
with E
E

E = EA

Electric flux
If area A is not exactly perpendicular
to the electric field E

E E A

Or

E = EAcos
Flux will be maximum when surface
area is perpendicular to the electric
field
E = EA
10

Flux through an Arbitrary Shape

E is not uniform
Divide the arbitrary shape
into small squares of area A
The direction of A is
drawn outward
Calculate the electric flux at
each square and sum all these

E A

E dA

This is a surface integral, i.e. an integral

over a closed surface, enclosing a
11
volume

Sample problem 2: Find the electric flux through a cylindrical surface in a

uniform electric field E

a.

E dA

E cos dA

E cos180dA EdA ER 2

b. E cos 90dA 0

Net Flux a + b + c = 0

c. E cos(0)dA EdA ER 2

12

Gausss law
Simplify electric field calculation
Gives an in site about the electric charge distribution over
the conducting body
Gives a relation between the electric filed at all the points
on the surface and the charge enclosed within the surface
Gausss law is used to analyze experiments that test the
validity of Coulombs law
It is an alternative to Coulombs law for expressing the
relationship between electric charge and electric field
13

Gausss law
The total electric flux through any closed
surface is proportional to the total electric
charge inside the surface

E qencl

0 E qencl
E E A
0 E dA qencl
where

qencl
E dA 0

Relates net electric flux

to the net enclosed
electric charge
14

Gauss Law & Coulombs Law

Let us consider a
E
positive point charge q
Surround the charge with
an imaginary surface
the Gaussian Surface

dA

0 E dA q
The angel between vector area and
E field is zero everywhere

0 EdA q

15

 0 EdA q
The E field is uniform and
thus constant everywhere

E
dA

0 E dA q
0 E (4r 2 ) q
q
kq
2
E
2
0 4r
r

Where 4r2 is the area of

circular surface

16

Applications of Gauss Law

Infinite Line of Charges

Let us now enclose this line with a

cylindrical Gaussian surface

The symmetry indicates that E field will

have only the radial components and there is
no flux at the ends

++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

Let us consider an infinite line of positive

charge with a linear charge density = q/h
We wish to find the E field at a distance r
from the line

dA
E

17

Infinite Line of Charges

Now according the Gauss law

0 E (2rh) h

E
2 0 r

Gausss law for electric field determination

due to a charge distribution is the simplest of
all

++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

0 E dA q

dA
E

18

Infinite Sheet of Charge

Let us now consider portion
of nonconducting (Insulator)
sheet of charge having a
charge density (charge per
unit area)
Consider an imaginary
cylindrical Gaussian surface
inserted into sheet
The charge enclosed by the
surface is q = A
19

Infinite Sheet of Charge

Due to symmetry we can conclude that E field is right
angles to the end caps
There is no flux from the curved surface of the cylindrical
There is equal flux out of both caps

0 E dA q

0 ( EA EA) A
0 2 EA A

E
2 0
A very useful result that can be directly applied
on similar applications of Gauss Law

20

Gauss Law & Conductors

Conductors are materials that are electrically neutral
There is no net charge inside an isolated metal ball
And therefore the E field inside an isolated conductor is
zero
Suppose we are able to inject some charge into the
center of the metal ball
What would then happen?
+

21

Gauss Law & Conductors

Initially there would be an E field that would cause all
the charges to redistribute
Within nanoseconds the charges would settle and stop
moving, which is called an electrostatic equilibrium
And there would then be no net charges inside conductor
If there were anywe would see current insidewhich
is never observed
The excess charges do not disappear from the scene
These excess charges appear as electrostatic charges at
the surface
+
+

+
+

+
+
22

Property of Conductors

An excess charge placed on or inside an

isolated conductor moves entirely to the
outer surface of the conductor. None of
the excess charge is found within the
body of the conductor

23

Applications of Gauss Law

A Thin Conducting Plate

++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

Suppose we take a thin conducting plate

This plate has definitely two surfaces
And spray a charge q on any surface
This charge q will move and will spread
over both the surfaces
Each surface will have a charge equal to
q/2
And now we try to apply Gauss Law

24

A Thin Conducting Plate

The total E field of a thin

conducting plate would then be

E
0

++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

E
2 0

E=0
++++++++++++++++++++ +++++

We can think of the situation

as two noncouducting charged
plates connected back-to-back
each resulting in

25

Two Thin Conducting Plates with Opposite

Charge
Let we bring closer
two thin conducting
sheets each with an
equal and opposite
charge of magnitude of
E=0
q

E
Both conductors now cannot be considered
as isolated conductors
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

E=0

26

The charges on both plates will

move towards the inner
surfaces due to force of
attraction
E=0
Each surface will set
up an E field

E
2 0

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

E=0

The net E field can thus

be given as

E
0

27


E
0
Putting =q/A

q
E
A 0

E=0

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

E=0

This is the electrical field of a parallel plate capacitor

28

Homework Exercises
Course book, Volume 2
Edition 4th Chapter # 29
Problem # :1, 3, 5, 9, 13, 14, 19, 23, 25, 27, 31, 39 and 42
Edition 5th : Chapter 27
Exercise # 1,3, 5, 9, 15, 17, 19, 23, 26, 29
Problems # 2, 3, 13

29