Lecture 5

Electric Flux and Flux Density,

Gauss Law in Integral Form
Sections: 3.1, 3.2, 3.3
Homework: See homework file
LECTURE 5

slide

Faradays Experiment (1837), Flux

charge transfer from inner to outer sphere
electric induction: charge deposition
without contact

E
+Q

observations on charge on outer electrode

it is of the same magnitude but opposite
sign (Q) as that on inner electrode
it is the same regardless of the insulating
material used (r)
it is the same regardless of electrodes shape

insulator

displacement flux electric flux =Q, C

flux depends on the charge and does not depend on the medium
LECTURE 5

slide

Flux Density and Flux 1

charge densities on inner and outer spheres
Q
Q
ou
Q>0
=
sin =

s
2
2
4 a
4 b
flux has direction and density D corresponding to the enclosed
charge density (flux density points from +Q to Q)
=
Q s ds =
Dn ds
S

in spherical coordinates (charged sphere +Q at origin)

on the surface of the inner sphere
Dn = Dr

Q
2 D=
in
=
D

a
(
a
)
=
=

r
+Q
r
r
s

a
2
2
4 a
4 a
b
Dn
on the surface of the outer sphere
S

Q
ou
=
Dr 4 b2 D=
=
=

r ( b)
s
Q
4 b2 4 b2
LECTURE 5

slide

Flux Density and Flux 2

flux density at any distance r (point charge at origin)
Q
1 Q
)
(
r
)
= Dr 4 r 2 Dr ( r=

D
=
2 ar
2
4 r
4 r
compare with E of a point charge at origin
1 Q
(r)
E=
2 ar
4 r
E depends on the permittivity, D does not: D
describes the sources regardless of the medium

Dn = Dr

+Q

r
b

S
Q

in vacuum D = 0 E
the principle of superposition applies to D as well
1
v (r)a R
dv
D(r) =

2
4 v
R
LECTURE 5

slide

Flux Density D of Fundamental Charge Configurations

multiple point charges
1 N Qn (rn )
1 N Qn (rn )
E(r ) =
a D( r ) =
a
2 n
2 n
4 n 1 =
4 n 1 | r rn |
| r rn |
line charge

l 1
( cos1 cos 2 )
E =
4
l 1
( sin 2 sin 1 )
E z=
4
l
D = ( cos1 cos 2 )
4
l
Dz = ( sin 2 sin 1 )
4

P2 2

R2
dQ = l dz

dz

z
L
z
0 y
x

az
R

a
P ( , ,0)

R1

P1

s
infinite sheet of uniform charge: =
E an
=
D ?
2

Total Flux through Closed Surface

total flux through closed surface depends neither on the surface
shape nor on the mutual positioning of the charge and its enclosing
surface
it depends solely on the enclosed charge
analogies: water flow, electrical current, etc.
find the mathematical expression for flux so that the above is true
?
(D, S ) =
procedure: consider a point charge at the origin and its electric
flux through: (a) sphere, (b) any surface
if the expression is true for a point charge it will be true for any
collection of charges as per the superposition principle
LECTURE 5

slide

Background: Solid Angle and 1 Steradian

1 radian of a 2D angle ( = 1 rad)
cuts out an arc from a circle of length
equal to the radius of the circle
if 1,=
larc r
larc = r =
if 2=
=
, larc 2 r

full circle

1 steradian of a solid angle ( = 1

sr) cuts out an area from a sphere
equal to (radius)2
ssph= r 2
=
if 1,=
ssph r 2
=
if 4=
, ssph 4 r 2
full sphere
LECTURE 5

slide

Differential Solid Angle and Differential Surface Area

differential solid angle and differential surface area on a sphere
ds
= r 2d
in SCS: ds = r 2 sin d d

example: the area and the solid angle of a full sphere (radius is r0)
Asph =

ds =

Sphere

2
2
2
2

r
sin
d
d
r
2
(
cos
)
4
r
,
m

0
0
0
0

0 0
2

=
sph

d sin d=
d
=

Sphere

0 0

4 , sr

solid angle of full 3D space

LECTURE 5

slide

True or False
The solid angle defined by 0 / 2 and 0 2
is equal to 2.

The solid angle defined by a rectangular trihedral

corner is equal to /2.

LECTURE 5

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Total and Differential Flux of Point Charge

flux through a sphere (charge at origin)
ds
2

2 sin=
D
ds
D
r

=
d d
Q
n
r

sphere

0 0

due to spherical symmetry

Q
Dr ( r ) =
2
4 r 2
d =Dr r
d
dS

d =

Q
d , d =sin d d
4

r1

r2
Q
4

http://phys23p.sl.psu.edu/phys_anim/EM/sphere_to_sphere.avi

the differential flux d is proportional to (Qd) and does not

depend on r
LECTURE 5

slide

10

Differential Flux of Point Charge

flux through arbitrary surface (charge is at origin)
differential flux through surface element of an arbitrary surface

dssphere = dsother cos

an
ar

0
http://phys23p.sl.psu.edu/phys_anim/EM/patch_to_sphere.avi
http://phys23p.sl.psu.edu/phys_anim/EM/fpbts3.avi

dssphere

dsother

we want d sphere =
d other =
d Qd
d sphere =
Dr dssphere =
Dr cos dsother =
Dn dsother =
D ds

dssphere

general expression for differential flux

d = D ds
LECTURE 5

slide

11

Total Flux of Point Charge Through Arbitrary Surface

regardless of the chosen surface
=

ds
D =

as per superposition principle, result

holds for any collection of charges

S2

Ssphere
P

Q2
Q1
Q
= Q1 + Q2
= 1 + 2
S1

Sother

single charge at origin

http://phys23p.sl.psu.edu/phys_anim/EM/blob_diced.avi

Sother

any two charges

12

Gauss Law
the electric flux over a closed surface is equal to the total
charge enclosed by the surface
=

D ds=

v dv

Q=

flux equals enclosed

charge (no enclosed
charge means no flux)
Q

d = d Qd
a n D( P)
a n d
P
P
D( P)

d < 0

total flux =0
S

LECTURE 5

d > 0
slide

13

Gauss Law: Applications

Gauss law makes solutions to problems with planar, cylindrical
or spherical symmetry easy
procedure: choose integration surface so that
D is everywhere either normal or tangential to surface
if normal: D ds =
Dds
if tangential: D ds =
0
when normal to surface, D is also constant on surface

D ds = D ds = D S
S

LECTURE 5

slide

14

Gauss Law Applications: Field of Infinite Line Charge

D ds = Q = l l
S

due to symmetry D = D a
2

D d dz =D 2 l =l l

=
0=z 0

l
D=
a
, C/m 2
2
l
D
, V/m
E=
= a

ds = d dza

This result was already obtained in Lecture 4

by the superposition principle.
LECTURE 5

slide

15

Gauss Law Applications: Field of Coaxial Cable

problem has cylindrical symmetry
Gaussian surface chosen as cylinder of radius
solution analogous to that of line charge
for a b

l
D = a
, C/m 2
2
for > b, D =
0

Homework:
Prove that for a uniformly charged cylinder
v
=
of radius
a, D , for 0 a.
2
LECTURE 5

slide

16

Gauss Law Applications: Field of Sheet Charge

D ds = Q = s A

D top lx
an

ly

z y s
x

A = lxl y

bottom

an

Dz dxdy

Dz dxdy + D ds =
s A
top
sides

bottom
bottom
Dztop A

due to

Dz

symmetry: Dztop

flux through S is 0

=
Dzbottom

=
D
2 DA =
s A, D =
2

s
D
D=
az E = =
az
2
2

This result was already obtained in Lecture 4 by the superposition

principle.
LECTURE 5
slide 17

Gauss Law Applications: Field of Spherical Charge

A sphere of radius a has uniformly distributed charge of
volume density v, C/m3. Determine the electric flux density
in the sphere and out of it.
spherical symmetry of the source implies spherical symmetry
of field
choose integration surface as sphere
(1) inside the sphere

D ds=

Q ( r )=

S (r)

v dv=

v dv

v(r)

v(r)

4 3
Dr ( r ) 4 r =
v r
3

v
Dr (r ) =
r
3

v(r)

LECTURE 5

slide

18

Gauss Law Applications: Field of Spherical Charge

(2) outside the sphere
4 3

D ds = Q = v dv = v 3 a
S (r)
v
4 3
Dr ( r ) 4 r ==
Q v a
3
v a3
Q
Dr ( r ) = 2 = 2
3 r
4 r
2

v a

Dr

1/ R 2

outside the sphere the field is the same as that of a point charge
LECTURE 5

slide

19

Gauss Law Applications: Field of Spherical Charge

E-field magnitude in 3-D space

LECTURE 5

slide

20

You have learned about:

the flux density vector D and how it relates to the charge Q and
the E vector
Gauss law of electrostatics in integral form
=

D ds=
S

Q=

v dv
v

the application of Gauss law to the solution of symmetrical

problems
infinite planar charge
infinite line charge
infinite cylinder (inside and outside)
coaxial cable
uniformly charged sphere (inside and outside)
LECTURE 5

slide

21