Electric Flux and Gauss’ Law

Adrian Patrick S. Labtic

Department of Physical Sciences
College of Science
Electric “Given a charge distribution, what is the electric field
Field produced by that distribution at a point P?”
Electric “If the electric field pattern is known in a given
region, what can we determine about the charge
Field distribution in that region?”

• may or may not contain an

electric charge
• made of a material that has no
effect on any electric fields
(analogous to massless rope and
frictionless surface)
• closed surface because it
completely encloses a volume
Imaginary Surface
How can we determine how much (if any)
electric charge lies within the box?
How can we determine how much (if any)
electric charge lies within the box?
 Electric Flux,
• is  a measure of electric field that passes
It
through a given surface.

(electric flux for a uniform , flat surface)

• Positive charge inside the box goes with an

outward (positive) electric flux through the
box’s surface
• Negative charge inside the box goes with an
inward (negative) electric flux
• No net charge inside the box goes without
an electric flux
 Properties of Electric
Flux in a Closed
Surface

1. Whether there is a net outward

or inward electric flux through a
closed surface depends on the
sign of the enclosed charge.
2. Charges outside the surface do
not give a net electric flux
through the surface.
3. The net electric flux is directly
proportional to the net amount
of charge enclosed within the
surface but is otherwise
independent of the size of the
closed surface.
Surface
  is face-on to electric field:
• and are parallel (angle between
them is 0)
Surface
  is tilted from a face-on  Surface is edge-on to electric field:
orientation by an angle : • and are perpendicular (angle
• Angle between them is between them is 90)

Calculating Electric Flux

 Example 1
  disk of radius 0.10 m is oriented with its normal unit vector at
A
30 to a uniform electric field of magnitude . (a) What is the
electric flux through the disk? (b) What is the flux through the
disk if it is turned so that is perpendicular to the electric field?
(c) What is the flux through the disk if is parallel to the electric
field?
 Example 2
  imaginary cubical surface of side L is in a region of uniform
An
electric field. Find the electric flux through each face of the cube
and the total flux through the cube when (a) it is oriented with
two of its faces perpendicular to the electric field; and (b) the
cube is turned by an angle about a vertical axis.
 Electric Flux of a
Nonuniform Electric
Field or Curved
Surface

Φ𝐸 =∫ 𝐸 ∙𝑑 𝐴
´ ´
 Example 3
  point charge is surrounded by an imaginary sphere of radius
A
centered on the charge. Find the resulting electric flux through
the sphere.
 Seatwork

A flat sheet is in the shape of a

rectangle with sides of lengths
0.400 m and 0.600 m. The
sheet is immersed in a
uniform electric field of
magnitude 75 N/C that is
directed at 20 from the plane
of the sheet. Find the
magnitude of the electric flux
through the sheet.