Gausss Law

Electric Flux
Electric flux is the amount of electric field going across a surface
It is defined in terms of a direction, or normal unit vector,
perpendicular to the surface
For a constant electric field, and a flat surface, it is easy to calculate
Denoted by E
E AE n
E AE cos
Units of Nm2/C
When the surface is flat, and the fields are constant, you
can just use multiplication to get the flux
When the surface is curved, or the fields are not constant,
you have to perform an integration
E E n dA

E 0

E A E

Electric Flux For a Cylinder

A point charge q is at the center of a cylinder of radius a and height 2b.
What is the electric flux out of (a) each end and (b) the lateral surface?
top

ke q
E 2
r
ke qb

r s 2 b2

ke qb
ke q
E n 2 cos 3
2
2 3/2
r
r
b s

dA 2 sds
n
Consider a ring of radius s and thickness ds
a
a
2 ke qbsds
2 ke qb
2 ke qb
2 ke q

E E n dA
3/2
2
2
2
2
b2 a 2
b s 0
0 b s
lateral surface
E E n dA

r z a
2

2 ke qa dz

2
b a z

ke qa
E n 3
r

2 3/2

2 ke qz
a z
2

E
n
s

dA 2 adz

4 ke qb
a 2 b2

b
a

Total Flux Out of Various Shapes

n
E

A point charge q is at the center of a (a) sphere (b) joined hemispheres

(c) cylinder (d) cube. What is the total electric flux out of the shape?
ke q
E n 2
b
a
E E1 E 2 E 3
a
ke q
E E n dA
E1 EA 2 2 a 2
q
ke q
a
2 4 a 2
E1 2 ke q
a
q
n
a
E 4 ke q
E2 0
n
E

k
q
E
E 2 Ecap Elat
E3
e
E

2 ke qb
4 ke qb
E 4 ke q
2 2 ke q

2
2
b a
b2 a 2

E 4 ke q

Gausss Law
No matter what shape you use, the total electric flux out of a region
containing a point charge q is 4keq = q/0.
Why is this true?
Electric flux is just measuring how many field
lines come out of a given region
q
No matter how you distort the shape, the field lines
come out somewhere
E 4 ke q
E q 0
If you have multiple charges inside the region their effects add
However, charges outside the region do not contribute
E q1 q2 q3 0
q4
q3

qin
E
0

q1
q2

Using Gausss Law

Gausss Law can be used to solve three types of problems:
1. Finding the total charge in a region when you know the electric field outside
that region
2. Finding the total flux out of a region when the charge is known
a) It can also be used to find the flux out of one side in symmetrical
problems
b) In such cases, you must first argue from symmetry that the flux is
identical through each side
3. Finding the electrical field in highly symmetrical situations
a) One must first use reason to find the direction of the electric field
everywhere
b) Then draw a Gaussian surface over which the electric field is constant
c) Use this surface to find the electric field using Gausss Law
d) Works generally only for spherical, cylindrical, or planar-type problems

Sample Problem
A very long box has the shape of a regular pentagonal prism.
Inscribed in the box is a sphere of radius R with surface charge
density . What is the electric flux out of one lateral side of the box?
End view

Perspective
view

The flux out of the end caps is negligible

Because it is a regular pentagon, the flux from
the other five sides must be the same
2
5

R
0
E qin 0
5 E ,side A 0
E ,side

E ,side 4 R 2 5 0

Using Gausss Law to find E-field

A sphere of radius a has uniform charge density throughout. What
is the direction and magnitude of the electric field everywhere?
Clearly, all directions are created equal in this problem
Certainly the electric field will point away from the sphere at all points
The electric field must depend only on the distance
Draw a sphere of radius r around this charge
qin 0 E
Now use Gausss Law with this sphere
V 0 AE n

4
3

a 0 4 r E
3

a3
E r
3 0 r 2

r
E

Note: We implicitly assumed r > a

when we calculated the enclosed charge.

E rE

Using Gausss Law to find E-field (2)

A sphere of radius a has uniform charge density throughout. What
is the direction and magnitude of the electric field everywhere?
When computing the flux for a
qin 0 E
Gaussian surface, only include
the electric charges inside the
V 0 AE n
surface
3
2
4

r
E
0
3

E rE

E r r 3 0
r a 3 0 r
E
r r 3 0
3

for r a,
for r a.
E

Electric Field From a Line Charge

What is the electric field from an infinite line with linear charge density ?
n

E rE

L
r

Electric field must point away from the line charge, and depends only on distance
Add a cylindrical Gaussian surface with radius r and length L
Use Gausss Law
q
in

The ends of the cylinder dont contribute

On the sides, the electric field and the normal are parallel
E
L 0 E n da 0 EA 0 E 2 rL

2 0 r

r
E
2 0 r

Electric Field From a Plane Charge

What is the electric field from an infinite plane with surface charge density ?
E

n
n

Electric field must point away from the surface, and depends only on
E k E
distance d from the surface
Add a box shaped Gaussian surface of size 2d L W
Use Gausss Law
qin 0 E
The sides dont contribute
On the top and bottom, the electric field and the normal are parallel
k
E

LW 0 E nda 0 EA 0 E 2 LW
E
2 0
2 0

Conductors and Gausss Law

Conductors are materials where charges are free to flow in response to electric
forces
The charges flow until the electric field is neutralized in the conductor
Inside a conductor, E = 0
Draw any Gaussian surface inside the conductor
qin 0 E 0 E n dA 0
In the interior of a conductor,
there is no charge

The charge all flows to the surface

Electric Field at Surface of a Conductor

Because charge accumulates on the surface of a conductor,
n
there can be electric field just outside the conductor
Will be perpendicular to surface
We can calculate it from Gausss Law
Draw a small box that slightly penetrates the surface
The lateral sides are small and have no flux through
them
The bottom side is inside the conductor and has no electric field
The top side has area A and has flux through it
E E n A EA
The charge inside the box is due to the surface charge
We can use Gausss Law to relate these qin A 0 E 0 EA

E n
0

Sample problem
An infinitely long hollow neutral conducting cylinder has inner
radius a and outer radius b. Along its axis is an infinite line charge
with linear charge density . Find the electric field everywhere.
end-on
view

b
a

perspective
view

Use cylindrical Gaussian surfaces when needed in each region

For the innermost region (r < a), the total charge comes entirely from the line charge
r
The computation is identical to before

2 0 r

For the region inside the conductor, the electric field is always zero E 0
For the region outside the conductor (r > b), the electric field can be calculated like
before
r
The conductor, since it is neutral, doesnt contribute E

2 0 r

Where does the charge go?

How can the electric field appear, then disappear, then reappear?

r
2 0 r
0

if r a or r b
if a r b

The positive charge at the center attracts negative

+
charges from the conductor, which move towards it
+
This leaves behind positive charges, which repel
+
each other and migrate to the surface
end-on view
In general, a hollow conductor masks the distribution of the charge
+
inside it, only remembering the total charge
+
Consider a sphere with an irregular cavity in it
+
cutaway

view
q +
ke q
+

Eout 2 r

r
+