ELECTROSTATICS 2

1
Gauss’s Law

2
 Electric Flux

Definition:
• Electric flux is the product of the
magnitude of the electric field and the
surface area, A, perpendicular to the
field
• ΦE = EA
• The field lines may make some angle θ
with the perpendicular to the surface 
E
• Then ΦE = EA cos θ
normal


  E  EA
 E

 E  EA cos  3
Electric Flux: Surface as a Vector

Vector, corresponding to a Flat Surface of Area A, is determined

by the following rules:
 the vector is orthogonal to the surface
 the magnitude of the vector is equal to the area A

 The first rule

A
 the vector is orthogonal to the surface
90o normal does not determine the direction of  .
A
There are still two possibilities:

Area = A 
A
or
o
90
90o

A

You can choose any of them 4

 Electric Flux: Surface as a Vector
If we consider more complicated surface then the directions of
vectors should be adjusted, so the direction of vector is a smooth
function of the surface point

correct

or


A2 
A1

wrong

or

A3
5
 Electric Flux

Definition:
• Electric flux is the scalar product of

electric field and the vector A  
 A
•   EA E



 E  EA  EA cos   0
or 
E
 
A



 E  EA   EA cos   0 6
 Electric Flux
1
  E  1   2
E  area  A1
 A1

 area  A2

A2  2
90o    2  EA2  EA2 cos(90o   )  EA2 sin 

1  EA1  EA1 sin 

 E  EA1 sin   EA2 sin  flux is positive


E
if    
A1 E  A1  E  EA1 sin 

 2  0
A2  
 A2 and E are
then 𝜱 𝑬 =− 𝑬 𝑨 𝟏 𝐬𝐢𝐧 𝜶− 𝑬 𝑨𝟐 𝒔𝒊𝒏 𝜷 A2
orthogonal 7
flux is negative
 Electric Flux

• In the more general case, look

at a small flat area element

 E  Ei Ai cos θi  Ei  Ai

• In general, this becomes


 E  lim
  Ei  Ai 
Ai 0  E  dA
surface

• The surface integral means the

integral must be evaluated over
the surface in question
• The units of electric flux will be
N.m2/C
8
 Electric Flux: Closed Surface

The vectors Ai point in different
directions

 At each point, they are

perpendicular to the surface

 By convention, they point

outward

 E  lim
  Ei  Ai 
Ai 0  E  dA
surface

9
 Electric Flux: Closed Surface
2
Closed surface
 E  1   2   3   4   5   6 6 3
     5
E is orthogonal to A3 , A4 , A5 , and A6 1

  E 4
Then  3  EA3  0  4  EA4  0
 
 5  EA5  0  6  EA6  0 
 A3
E
90o   
 E  1   2 1 3
 A2
 A1 2
1  EA1  EA1 cos(90o   )   EA1 sin   4
 
 2  EA2  EA2 A4

 E  E ( A2  A1 sin  )

but A2  A1 sin  A1 A2 Then E  0

 (no charges inside closed surface)
10
 Electric Flux: Closed Surface

• A positive point charge, q, is

located at the center of a sphere
of radius r
• The magnitude of the electric Spherical
surface
field everywhere on the surface
of the sphere is
E = keq / r2
• Electric field is perpendicular to
the surface at every point, so

E

has the same direction as
A at every point.
11
Electric Flux: Closed Surface
 
E has the same direction as A at every point.
q
E  ke 2
r
Then Spherical
  surface
   Ei dAi E  dAi 
i i

q
 EA0  E 4 r  4 r ke 2 
2 2

r
q
 4 ke q  Gauss’s Law
0

 does not depend on r ONLY BECAUSE E  1

2
12 r
 Electric Flux: Closed Surface
 
E and A have opposite directions at every point.

|q|
E  ke 2
r
Spherical
Then surface
 
   Ei dAi   E  dAi 
i i

|q| 
  EA0   E 4 r  4 r ke 2 
2 2

r
q
 4 ke | q | Gauss’s Law
0
 does not depend on r ONLY BECAUSE E 13 1
2
r
 Gauss’s Law

 The net flux through any closed surface

surrounding a point charge, q, is given by q/εo
and is independent of the shape of that
surface

 The net electric flux through a closed surface

that surrounds no charge is zero

Ai

q E q

E 
Ai q q
 
0  0 14
 Gauss’s Law

 Gauss’s law states

 qin
 E   E  dA 
εo
 qin is the net charge inside the surface

 E is the total electric field and may have contributions

from charges both inside and outside of the surface

Ai

q E q

E 
Ai q q
 
0  0 15
Gauss’s Law
 Gauss’s law states
 q
 E   E  dA  in
εo
 qin is the net charge inside the surface

 E is the total electric field and may have contributions from

charges both inside and outside of the surface

q5
q2 q1  q2  q3  q4
q1 
q3 0
q4

q6 q7
16
Gauss’s Law
 Gauss’s law states
 q
 E   E  dA  in
εo
 qin is the net charge inside the surface

 E is the total electric field and may have contributions

from charges both inside and outside of the surface

q5
q2 q1
0
q3
q4

q6 q7
17
Gauss’s Law
 Gauss’s law states
 q
 E   E  dA  in
εo
 qin is the net charge inside the surface

 E is the total electric field and may have contributions

from charges both inside and outside of the surface

q5
q2
0
q
q
q4

q6 q7
18
Gauss’s Law: Problem

What is the flux through surface 1

1   2  0

 2  EA0   EA0

1   2  EA0 A1

E 1 
 A2
A0

2

A3

19
Application of Gauss’s Law-
Fields and Potentials of other
charge distributions

20
 Gauss’s Law: Applications

 Although Gauss’s law can, in theory, be solved to find

E for any charge configuration, in practice it is limited
to symmetric situations
 qin
 To use Gauss’s law, you want to choose a Gaussian    E  dA 
surface over which the surface integral can be εo
simplified and the electric field determined
 Take advantage of symmetry
 Remember, the gaussian surface is a surface you
choose, it does not have to coincide with a real surface
q5

q1  q2  q3  q4 q6 q2
 q1
0
q3
q4
21
 Gauss’s Law: Point Charge

E


q
SYMMETRY:
 Gaussian Surface – Sphere
E - direction - along the radius
 Only in this case the magnitude of
E - depends only on radius, r electric field is constant on the
Gaussian surface and the flux can be
easily evaluated
q
 - Gauss’s Law
0
 
   E i dAi  E  dAi  EA0  E 4 r 2 - definition of the Flux
i i

q q
Then  4 r 2 E E  ke 2 22
 r
  qin
Gauss’s Law: Applications    E  dA 
εo

• 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 dot product of E.dA can be expressed as a simple algebraic
product EdA because E and dA are parallel
– The dot product is 0 because E and dA are perpendicular
– The field can be argued to be zero over the surface

correct Gaussian surface wrong Gaussian surface

23
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution
The total charge is Q 
SYMMETRY: E

 A
E - direction - along the radius

E - depends only on radius, r

• Select a sphere as the

gaussian surface
• For r >a
 qin Q
 E   E  dA   EdA  4πr E 
2

εo εo
Q Q
E  k e 2 The electric field is the same as
4πεo r 2 r
for the point charge Q 24
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Q Q
E 2
 ke 2 The electric field is the same as
4πεo r r for the point charge Q !!!!!
Q
For r > a


a Q

For r > a


25
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

SYMMETRY:  E
A

E - direction - along the radius

E - depends only on radius, r

• Select a sphere as the

gaussian surface, r < a
Q 4 3 r3
qin  r  Q 3  Q
4 3 3 a
a
3  qin
 E   E  dA   EdA  4πr E 
2

εo
qin Qr 3 1 Q
E 2
 ke 3 2  ke 3 r
4πεo r a r a 26
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

• Inside the sphere, E varies

linearly with r
E → 0 as r → 0
• The field outside the sphere
is equivalent to that of a point
charge located at the center
of the sphere

27
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Field due to a thin spherical shell
• Use spheres as the gaussian surfaces
• When r > a, the charge inside the surface is Q and
E = keQ / r2
• When r < a, the charge inside the surface is 0 and E = 0

28
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Field due to a thin spherical shell
• When r < a, the charge inside the surface is 0 and E = 0

A1 q1  A1 q2  A2

r1 A1  r12  A2  r22 

E 2 q1 A1  r12 
E1  ke 2  ke 2  ke  ke
the same r1 r1 r12

solid angle E1
 q2 A2  r22 
E 2  ke 2  k e 2  k e 2
 ke
r2 r2 r2
r2
E1  E 2

E1  E2  0

1
A2 Only because in Coulomb law E 29
r2
 Gauss’s Law: Applications
Field from a line of charge

• Select a cylindrical Gaussian surface

– The cylinder has a radius of r and
a length of ℓ
• Symmetry:
E is constant in magnitude (depends
only on radius r) and perpendicular
to the surface at every point on the
curved part of the surface

30
The end view
Gauss’s Law: Applications
Field from a line of charge
 The flux through this surface is 0
dA

The flux through this surface:

 qin
 E   E  dA   EdA  E  2πr  
εo
qin 𝜆ℓ
𝐸 ( 2 𝜋𝑟 ℓ )=
𝜀𝑜
31
The end view
 Gauss’s Law: Applications
Field due to a plane of charge

• Symmetry:
E must be perpendicular to the plane
and must have the same magnitude 
dA
at all points equidistant from the
plane
• Choose a small cylinder whose axis
is perpendicular to the plane for the
gaussian surface

The flux through this surface is 0

32
 Gauss’s Law: Applications
 Field due to a plane of charge
E2

A2
 
A4 A5
h 
dA

 
h A6
A3

A1

E1
E1  E2  E A1  A2  A
 The flux through this surface is 0
  E1 A1  E 2 A2  EA  EA  2 EA
qinA A 
  2 EA  E does not depend on h
0 0 0 2 0 33
Gauss’s Law: Applications


E
2 0


E  2ke
r 34
Example

The sphere has a charge Q and radius a. The point

charge –Q/8 is placed at the center of the sphere.
Find all points where electric field is zero.

E1  Q   Q 
r  E1  ke 3 r E2  ke 2 r
E2 a 8r

E1  E2  0

Q Q
ke r  k e
a3 8r 2

a 3 a
r3  r 
8 2
35
An infinite line of charge produces a field of at a distance
of 2.0 m.
Calculate the linear charge density.

36
Prob 2P04 -
 Electric Potential of Continuous Charge Distribution

• Consider a small charge element dq

– Treat it as a point charge
• The potential at some point due to this
charge element is
dq
dV  ke
r
• To find the total potential, you need to
integrate to include the contributions
from all the elements V  0

dq
V  ke 
r
The potential is a scalar sum.
38
The electric field is a vector sum.
 Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Uniformly distributed charge

Q

Q V ?

39
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Two approaches:

“Complicated” Approach A:

dq
V  ke 
r

“Simple” Approach B:

B  
VB  VA   Eds (simple - only because we know E(r))


40
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Q
Er  k e 3 r r a
a

Q
Er  ke r a
r2

41
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

V  0
r a
V  0


ds
Q
Q0 B
 Er  ke 2
E r
r

B   r r
dr 1
r
Q
VB  VA   Eds    Er dr  keQ  2  keQ  ke
  
r r  r
42
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution
V  0
V  0
r a Q
 Er  ke 2
ds r
Q 
Er  ke r
a3 C E
B
r
Q0

B    a 
VB  VA   Eds   Er dr   Er dr   Er dr 
 r r a

Q
a
dr Q Q Q  r 2

 ke 3  rdr keQ  2  ke 3 (a  r )  ke  ke
2 2
3  2 
a r r
r 2a a 2a  a 43
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Q
Vr  ke r a
r

Q r2 
VB  ke 3  2  r a
2a  a 
44