Chapter 22

Gauss Law

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Chapter 22
Gauss Law

22-1 CHARGE AND ELECTRIC

FLUX
22-2 CALCULATING ELECTRIC
FLUX
22-3 GAUSS LAW
22-4 APPLICATION OF GAUSS
LAW
22-5 CHARGES IN CONDUCTORS

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Charge and Electric Flux & 3
Calculating Electric Flux

OBJECTIVES:
Evaluate the electric flux through a surface
given the electric field
Relate the electric flux through a closed
surface to the total charge inside and outside
the surface

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Charge and Electric Flux 5

What is Gausss Law?

relationship between electric charges and electric fields

imaginary surface

What is the Electric field

Q
(on the surface)?

applicable for both continuous and discrete charge distribution

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Charge and Electric Flux 6

Symmetric vs. Asymmetric

Charge distributions
Systems with symmetry Systems without symmetry

Gausss Law makes E-field Gausss Law also applies but more
calculation easier. difficult.

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Calculating Electric Flux 7

Electric flux is the number of

electric field lines that are passing
through the surface.
For Uniform Electric Field

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Calculating Electric Flux 8

Area Vector
Using the righthand rule, the direction of the area
vector can be determined.

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Calculating Electric Flux 9

Area Vector
In a closed surface, we choose the directions of the area
vectors to be pointing away from the polyhedron.

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Calculating Electric Flux 10

Example
A cube with a length of 1.00m is
oriented as shown in the figure. 2
What are the area vectors at the
following surfaces:
y 3
1
1. Surface 1?
2. Surface 2?
3. Surface 3?
z x

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Calculating Electric Flux 11

Electric flux is the number of

electric field lines that are passing
through the surface.
For Non Uniform Electric Field

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Calculating Electric Flux 12

General definition of electric flux

where

Uniform Electric Field Non-uniform Electric Field

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Calculating Electric Flux 13

Note:
: unit vector perpendicular to A

Case 1. Case 2. Case 3.

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Calculating Electric Flux 14

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Charge and Electric Flux 15

Electric Flux and Enclosed Charge

Note: Electric field does not flow.

points out of the surface points into of the surface

Outward electric flux Inward electric flux

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Calculating Electric Flux 16

Electric Flux and Enclosed Charge

3 cases in which there is zero net charge inside a box and
no net electric flux through the surface of the box.

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Calculating Electric Flux 17

Main points:
The net electric flux due to a charge distribution
inside a closed surface is independent of the size
and shape of the closed surface.

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Calculating Electric Flux 18

Main points:
The net electric flux due to a charge distribution
inside a closed surface depends only on the net
charge inside.

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Calculating Electric Flux 19

A cylindrical piece of insulating material is placed

in an external electric field, as shown. The net
electric flux passing through the surface of the
cylinder is

A.Positive
B.Negative
C.Zero
D.Not enough info

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Calculating Electric Flux 20

Quiz:
A uniform electric field given by
/
= + +
is incident on a flat square sheet lying on the xy-
plane. If the length of the sides is 3 m, what is the
absolute value of the electric flux through the
sheet?
Hint: Formulate the area vector.

Answer:



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Chapter 22
Gauss Law

22-1 CHARGE AND ELECTRIC

FLUX
22-2 CALCULATING ELECTRIC
FLUX
22-3 GAUSS LAW
22-4 APPLICATION OF GAUSS
LAW
22-5 CHARGES IN CONDUCTORS

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Gauss Law 22

OBJECTIVE:
Express Gauss Law in words and in
equations

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Gauss Law 23

Gausss Law
alternative to Coulombs Law

formulated by Carl Friedrich Gauss

a different way of expressing the relationship between electric charge
and electric field

Recall:
Gausss Law
(qualitative)
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Gauss Law 24

Point Charge inside a Spherical Surface

Consider a point charge +q placed at the center of a spherical Gaussian
surface with radius R.
: Outward and perpendicular to any point on the Gaussian surface

+q
R

has the same value at any point on the surface.

(Flux is independent of radius R of sphere)

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Gauss Law 25

2 spheres with radii R and 2R centered on the point charge +q

4dA

R dA
q
2R

The same number of field lines and the same flux

pass through both of these area elements.
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Gauss Law 26

Point Charge inside a Non-spherical Surface

For irregular surface:

If enclosed charge is positive (+q):

+q

Holds for any size or shape of closed surface

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Gauss Law 27

Point Charge inside a Non-spherical Surface

For irregular surface:

If enclosed charge is negative (-q):

-q

Holds for any size or shape of closed surface

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Gauss Law 28

Point Charge inside a Non-spherical

Surface
For irregular surface:
If there is no enclosed charge:

Holds for any size or shape of closed surface

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Gauss Law 29

General form of Gausss Law

q1 q2
q
qn

Enclosed charge
Electric field
on Gaussian surface

Electric flux

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Gauss Law 30

General form of Gausss Law

q1 q2
q
qn

Gausss Law

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Gauss Law 31

Example:
A positive point charge Q is located at the center of a cube of
side-length L. In addition, six other identical positive point
charges q are positioned symmetrically around Q, as shown
in the figure. What is the electric flux through one face of the
cube? Answer:
The charges are symmetrically
arranged and are symmetrically distant
from the faces of Gaussian cube.

+
= =

+
= =

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Gauss Law 32

Concept Test
Which of the following closed surfaces has the most positive
electric flux through it?
A. S1 B. S5 C. S2 D. S3

S2 S5
S3 Legend:
+q
S4 -q
S1
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Chapter 22
Gauss Law

22-1 CHARGE AND ELECTRIC

FLUX
22-2 CALCULATING ELECTRIC
FLUX
22-3 GAUSS LAW
22-4 APPLICATION OF GAUSS
LAW
22-5 CHARGES IN CONDUCTORS

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Applications of Gauss 34
Law

OBJECTIVE:
Use Gauss Law to calculate the electric
field generated at a point by highly
symmetrical charge distributions

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Applications of Gauss 35
Law
Gausss Law

valid for any distribution of charges and for any closed surface

Two applications:
1. Symmetric charge distribution + evaluate integral = electric field
2. Electric field + Gausss Law = knowledge of charge distribution

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Applications of Gauss 36
Law
For a solid conductor

any excess charge must

reside on the surface

inside

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Applications of Gauss 37
Law

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Applications of Gauss 38
Law
Seatwork (for 2 minutes):
Consider a solid spherical conductor of radius R and charge
+Q at electrostatic equilibrium shown below. Which is the
correct ranking of the Points A, B, C, and D according the
value of the electric field at their locations?

A. D > C > B > A

B. D > C > B = A

C. D = C > B = A

D. C > D > B = A
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Applications of Gauss 39
Law

Recall:

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Applications of Gauss 40
Law

Recall:

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Applications of Gauss 41
Law
For a solid insulator

Charges can be distributed

anywhere inside the material

inside

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Applications of Gauss 42
Law

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Applications of Gauss 43
Law

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Applications of Gauss 44
Law
Quiz (for 3 minutes):
A Gaussian cube of side s is placed inside a uniformly charged
insulating sphere of radius 2s and charge Q. What is the
electric flux on the Gaussian cube?

A. 3Q/(32o)
Hint:
B. 32Q/(3o)

C. 3Q/(32o)

D. 32Q/(3o)

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Chapter 22
Gauss Law

22-1 CHARGE AND ELECTRIC

FLUX
22-2 CALCULATING ELECTRIC
FLUX
22-3 GAUSS LAW
22-4 APPLICATION OF GAUSS
LAW
22-5 CHARGES IN CONDUCTORS

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Charges on Conductors 46

OBJECTIVE:
Predict the charge distribution induced on
the surface of a conductor in the presence of a
static charge and external electric field

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Charges on Conductors 47

Gausss Law

valid for any distribution of charges and for any closed surface

Two applications:
1. Symmetric charge distribution + evaluate integral = electric field
2. Electric field + Gausss Law = knowledge of charge distribution

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Charges on Conductors 48

Charges on a conductor
For a solid conductor in electrostatic situation,

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Charges on Conductors 49

Question:
But what if there is a cavity inside
the conductor?

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Charges on Conductors 50

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Charges on Conductors 51

Charges on a conductor
For a conductor with internal cavity,

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Charges on Conductors 52

Charges on a conductor
If we insert an isolated charge q inside the cavity,

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Charges on Conductors 53

Faraday cage

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Charges on Conductors 54

Physics!

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Charges on Conductors 55

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Charges on Conductors 56

Example:
A small conducting spherical shell with inner radius a and outer radius b is
concentric with a larger conducting spherical shell with inner radius c and
outer radius d. The inner shell has total charge +2q, and the
outer shell has charge +4q.

Calculate the electric field magnitude in terms of k, q and r from the

common center of the spheres.

1. r < a
2. a < r < b
3. b < r < c
4. c < r < d
5. r > d
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Charges on Conductors 57

Example:
Which of the following can be true regarding the figure shown below?
I. The electric field at S is stronger than at P.
II. There is a point charge at point Q.
III. There are negative charges at point L.

A. I only
B. I and II only
C. II and III only
D. I and III only
E. I, II and III

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Charges on Conductors 58

Quiz (for 5 minutes):

A spherical conducting shell S1 is placed inside another spherical
conducting shell S3. The space between S1 and S3 is filled by an
uncharged insulator S2. The isolated charge within the cavity is +2Q. If
the net charge of S1 is 4Q and the net charge of S3 is 4Q, what is the
net charge of the following surfaces?
Inner surface of S1 [1pt]
A. Q B. +Q C. +2Q D. 2Q

Outer surface of S1 [1pt]

A. Q B. +6Q C. +4Q D. Q

Inner surface of S3 [1pt]

A. 6Q B. +3Q C. +4Q D. 3Q

Outer surface of S3 [1pt]

A. Q B. +3Q C. +2Q D. 4Q
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Charges on Conductors 59

Quiz (for 5 minutes):

A spherical conducting shell S1 is placed inside another spherical
conducting shell S3. The space between S1 and S3 is filled by an
uncharged insulator S2. The isolated charge within the cavity is +2Q. If
the net charge of S1 is 4Q and the net charge of S3 is 4Q, what is the
net charge of the following surfaces?
Inner surface of S1 [1pt]
A. Q B. +Q C. +2Q D. 2Q
[1pt] for attendance
Outer surface of S1 [1pt]
A. Q B. +6Q C. +4Q D. Q

Inner surface of S3 [1pt] 5/5

A. 6Q B. +3Q C. +4Q D. 3Q

Outer surface of S3 [1pt]

A. Q B. +3Q C. +2Q D. 4Q
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Gauss Law

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