Electric Flux and

Gauss’s Law
 Electric Flux
Objectives Gauss’s Law
Interpreting Equation
Gauss’s Law
-technique for calculating the average
electric field on a close surface
-convenient for calculating the electric field
of highly symmetric charge distributions
-important in understanding and verifying
the properties of conductors in electrostatic
equilibrium
Gauss’s Law
-relates the electric flux
through a closed surface
and the total charge inside
that surface
“Electric flux through a closed
surface is proportional to the
charge contained inside the
surface”
Electric Flux, ΦE
• is a measure of how much the
electric field vectors penetrate
through a given surface
• the product of the magnitude
of the electric field and the
surface area, A, perpendicular
to the field.
ΦE = EA
Units: N · m2 / C
Electric Flux, ΦE
• If the surface under
consideration is not
perpendicular to the field,
the field lines may make
some angle θ with the
perpendicular to the
surface.
ΦE = EA cos θ
Electric Flux, ΦE
•The flux is a maximum when the
surface is perpendicular to the
field.
θ = 0°
•The flux is zero when the
surface is parallel to the field.
θ = 90°
Electric Flux, ΦE
“For a closed surface, the flux lines passing into
the interior of the volume are negative and
those passing out of the interior of the volume
are positive.”
Flux Through Closed Surface
The net flux through the surface is proportional to the net number
of lines leaving the surface.
net number of lines =
number of lines leaving the surface - number entering the surface.

Cube The field lines pass

through two surfaces
perpendicularly and are
parallel to the other four
surfaces.
Karl Friedrich Gauss
• 1777-1855
• Developed Gauss’s Law
Gauss’s Law
point charge q surrounded by a
spherical surface of radius r
centered on the charge.
The magnitude of the electric field
E everywhere on the surface of the
sphere is:
Gauss’s Law
net flux through any closed surface
surrounding a point charge q is given
by q/eo and is independent of the
shape of the surface.

Constant eo = permittivity of
free space
eo =8.85 𝑥 10−12 𝐶 2 /𝑁 ∙ 𝑚2
Gauss’s Law

limited number of cases in which there is a high degree of symmetry,

such as spheres, cylinders, or planes
Gaussian Surface
• An imaginary surface created for
mathematical calculation only,
and need not to be an actual,
physical surface.
•Any field line entering the surface
leaves at another point.
•Verifies the electric flux through a
closed surface that surrounds no
charge is zero.
 Conditions for Gaussian Surface

Try to choose a surface that satisfies one or more of

these conditions:
• The value of the electric field can be argued from
symmetry to be constant over the surface.
• The product of 𝐸 *d/ 𝐴Ԧ can be expressed as a simple
algebraic product 𝐸 d/ 𝐴Ԧ because 𝐸 and d 𝐴Ԧ are parallel.
• The product is 0 because 𝐸 and d𝐴Ԧ are perpendicular.
• The field is zero over the portion of the surface.
Field Due to a Spherically
Symmetric Charge Distribution

Select a sphere as the gaussian

surface.
For r >a

qin
 E =  E  dA =  EdA =
εo
Q Q
E= = ke 2
4πεo r 2
r
Field Due to a Spherically
Symmetric Charge Distribution
Select a sphere as the
gaussian surface, r < a.
qin < Q
qin = r (4/3πr3)

qin
 E =  E  dA =  EdA =
εo
qin Q
E= = ke 3 r
4πεo r 2
a
Electric Field
calculation
Q
E1 = ke 3 r (for r  a )
a
Q
E2 = ke 2 (for a  r  b )
r
E3 = 0 (for b  r  c )
Q
E 4 = −k e 2 (for r  c )
r
End