FIS-502: Mathematical Physics I

October 14, 2016

Quiz 6 Gauss Divergence Theorem

Consider the electric field due to a point charge q at the origin
q
E= er .
4r2
1. Calculate div E = E in spherical polar coordinates using
E1 2 1 E2 1 E3 cot
E= + E1 + + + E3
r r r sin r r
Solution 1.
q
E = er
4r2
0
1 2 q 1 q

>
E = 2 r = 2  =0
r r 4r2 r r 4

2. Using Gauss divergence theorem

E ndS = EdV
V V
evaluate the electric flux around any closed curve not containing the origin.
Solution 2.

:0
E nds =  
EdV =0


V V

3. Calculate the electric flux

E = E ndS
S
through the surfaces S where:

(a) S is the upper hemisphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1, where 0 z 1

r(r = 1, , ) = er , 0 2, 0 2 .
(b) S is the filled circle x2 + y 2 1.
(c) S is the parabola x2 + y 2 = 1 z, where 0 z 1.
(d) S is the surface x2 + y 2 = 1 + z 3 , where 1 z 0.

1
by first plotting each surface and showing that the boundary of all four surfaces is the unit circle in the xy-plane
x2 + y 2 = 1. Show that this implies the flux through all surfaces is equal, so that you only need calculate the flux
through one of the four surfaces.
Solution 3. Let V = S S 0 , where S and S 0 have the same boundary curve C = S. Then from (2)

0 = E ndS
V =SS
0

= E ndS + E (n)dS
S S 0

E ndS = E ndS
S S0

(a) S is the circle x2 + y 2 = 1. For the hemisphere, the outward pointing normal is n = er , dS = r2 sin

E E ndS
S
2
2 q : 21 2q 2
= er er r sin dd =
   
sin
0 0 4r2 4 0
q q q
= [ cos ]02 = (0 (1)) =
2 2 2
q
E = for all surfaces with boundary S = x2 + y 2 = 1.
2
1.0

1.0

0.5
0.8
0.6
0.4

0.6
0.0

0.0 1.0 0.4

y

0.8
0.2

0.2

0.0

0.5 1.0

0.5
1.0 0.0
0.5
0.0 0.5
1.0 0.5
1.0 1.0
1.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
x
q
(b) S is the circle x2 + y 2 = 1 E = as in (a).
2

2
 1.0

0.06

0.5 0.04

0.02

0.00

0.0
y

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.5 1.0

0.5
1.0 0.0
0.5
0.0 0.5
1.0 0.5
1.0 1.0
1.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
x
q
(c) S is the circle x2 + y 2 = 1 E = as in (a).
2
1.0

1.0

0.5
0.8
0.4

0.8

0.6
0.0

0.0 1.0 0.4

y

0.2

0.6

0.2

0.0

0.5 1.0

0.5
1.0 0.0
0.5
0.0 0.5
1.0 0.5
1.0 1.0
1.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
x
q
(d) S is the circle x2 + y 2 = 1 E = as in (a).
2
1.0

0.0

0.5
0.2
-0.4
-0.6

0.4

0.0 -1.0 0.6

y

-0.8

0.8
-0.2

1.0

0.5 1.0
0

0.5
-0.

1.0 0.0
0.5
0.0 0.5
1.0 0.5
1.0 1.0
1.0 0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
x