Lecture 20

• calculating electric flux

• electric flux through closed surface
required for Gauss’s law: calculate Ē more
easily; applies to moving charges
• Uses of Gauss’s Law: charged sphere, wire,
plane and conductor
 Calculating Electric Flux I

• Analogy: volume of air per second (m3 /s) = v A = vA cos θ

• Electric Flux (amount of Ē thru’ surface): Φe = E A = EA cos θ

• Area vector: Ā = An̂ →

Calculating Electric Flux II
! ! " #
Φe = i δΦe = i Ēi . δ Ā i
→
Uniform Ē,
flat surface:
!
Φe = Ē.dĀ
surf ace
!
= E cos θdA
...
!
= E cos θ dA
...
= E cos θA

!
Φe = Ē.dĀ
surf ace
!
= EdA
...
!
= E dA = EA
...
 Calculating Electric Flux III
• Closed surface !( dĀ points toward outside: ambiguous for single
surface): Φe = Ē.dĀ

• strategy: divide closed surface into either tangent or

perpendicular to Ē

• example: cylindrical charge distribution,

!
Ē = E0 r 2
/r02
"
r̂ (r̂ in xy-plane)

Φwall = EAwall

!
Φe = Ē.dĀ
= Φtop + Φbottom + Φwall
= 0 + 0 + EAwall
= EAwall
" 2
#
R
= E0 2 (2πRL)
r0
Flux due to point
charge inside...
• Gaussian surface with
same symmetry as of
charge distribution
and hence Ē
!
Φe = Ē.dĀ = EAsphere
(Ē ⊥ and same at all points)
E = 4π"q0 r2 ; Asphere = 4πr2
q
⇒ Φ e = "0

• flux independent of
radius

• approximate arbitrary
shape...
! q
Φe = Ē.dĀ = !0
Charge outside..., multiple charges...Gauss’s Law

Ē = Ē1 +!Ē2 + ... (superposition)

! ⇒
Φe = Ē1 .dĀ + Ē2 .dĀ + ...
= Φ1 + Φ2 + ...
" #
q1 q2
= + ...for all charges inside
!0 !0
+(0 + 0 + ...for all charges outside)
Qin = q1 + q2 + ... for all charges inside ⇒
 Using Gauss’s Law
• Gauss’s law derived from Coulomb’s law, but states general
property of Ē : charges create Ē ; net flux “flow”) thru’ any
surface surrounding is same

• quantitative: connect net flux to amount of charge

Strategy
• model charge distribution as one with symmetry (draw picture)
symmetry of Ē

• Gaussian surface (imaginary) of same symmetry (does not have

to enclose all charge)

• Ē either tangent (Φe = 0) or perpendicular to (Φe = EA) surface

 Charged Sphere: Ē outside and inside
• charge distribution inside has
spherical symmetry (need
not be! uniform)
Q
Φe = Ē.dĀ = !in 0
EAsphere = E4πr2
(don’t know E, but
same at all points on surface)
+ Qin = Q
Q
⇒ E = 4π! 0
(same as point charge)
• flux integral not easy for
other surface

• using superposition requires

3D integral!

• spherical surface inside

sphere ⇒ Qin "= Q
 Charged wire and plane
• Φmodel= asΦlong+ line...
Φ + Φwall
e top bottom
= 0 + 0 + EAcyl.
= E2πrL
Qin
Φe = !0 ;
Qin = λL
⇒ Ewire = 2π!λ0 r
• independent of L of imaginary...

• cylinder encloses only part of

wire’s charge: outside does not
contribute to flux, but essential
to cylindrical symmetry (easy
flux integral); cannot use for
finite length (Ē not same on wall)

• Gauss’s law effective for highly

symmetrical: superposition
always works...
Conductors in Electrostatic Equilibrium: Ē at surface
•Ē = 0if not, charges (free to move ) would...
in

• net charge → Ē "= 0 outside

• If ĒΦ tangent
= AE
to surface, charges move...
for outside face
e surf ace
+0 for inside face (Ēin = 0)
+0 for wall (Ē ⊥ surface)
Φe = Q!in ; Qin = ηA ⇒
0 ! "
Ēsurf ace = !η0 , ⊥ to surface
Within conductor...

• excess charge on exterior surface

• Ē = 0 inside hole (Ē = 0 inside

conductor and no charge in hole):
screening

• charge inside hole of neutral

conductor polarizes...