Gauss’ Law: Spherical Symmetry

Prove:
• A shell of uniform charge attracts or repels a charged
particle that is outside the shell as if all the shell’s charge
were concentrated at the center of the shell

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 Gauss’ Law: Spherical Symmetry
Prove
• A shell of uniform charge exerts no electrostatic force on
a charged particle that is located inside the shell.

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 Gauss’ Law: Spherical Symmetry
Electric Field inside and outside a shell of uniform charge
distribution
Demo: 5A-13 No
Internal Field

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 Gauss’ Law: Spherical Symmetry
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Outside Inside

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 Gauss’ Law: Spherical Symmetry
Spherically Symmetric Charge Distribution

Outside
E

Inside R r

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 Infinite Line of charge density "
•  From Symmetry: E-field only y Er
depends on distance r from line
•  Therefore, select the Gaussian Er
surface to be a cylinder of radius r
and length h aligned with the x-
axis.
+ + +++++++ + +++++++++++++ + + + + + +
x
h
• Apply Gauss’ Law and assume uniform charge density :

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 Example: Gauss’ Law: Cylindrical Symmetry
Two long, charged concentric cylinders have a radii of 3.0 cm and 6.0 cm.
The charge per unit length is 5.0 x 10-6 C/m on the inner cylinder and -7.0 x
10-6 C/m on the outer cylinder. Find the electric field at (a) r = 4.0 cm and (b)
r = 8.0 cm, where r is the radial distance from the common axis.

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 Quiz 4: January 19, 2012
There is a certain net flux  through a Gaussian sphere of
radius r enclosing an isolated charged particle. Suppose
the enclosing Gaussian surface is changed to

1 A larger Gaussian sphere of radius 2r

2 A Gaussian cube with edge length r
3 A Gaussian cube with edge length 2r

Rank the net flux for each Gaussian surface:

(A) 1 = 3 > 2 =  "
(B) 2 =  > 1 = 3"
(C)  = 1 = 2 = 3"
(D)  = 1 > 2 = 3"
()  = 1 < 2 = 3"
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