Electrodynamics (18PHY303)

Lecture # 2- Electrostatics - II
Department of Physics
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritapuri Campus

Contact:
Dr. Sanjay K. Ram
Ph. No. +919643768829
Email: sanjayk.ram@gmail.com ;
sanjaykumarram@am.amrita.edu
Website: https://www.sanjaykram.com/
 Electric Flux

▪ The strength of an electric field is proportional to the

number of field lines per area.
▪ The number of electric field lines that penetrates a
given surface is called an “electric flux,” which we
denote as ΦE .
▪ The electric field can therefore be thought of as the
number of lines per unit area.
 Electric Flux

▪ The strength of an electric field is proportional to the

number of field lines per area.
▪ The number of electric field lines that penetrates a
given surface is called an “electric flux,” which we
denote as ΦE .
▪ The electric field can therefore be thought of as the
number of lines per unit area.
Electric Flux dA

Definition of an element of electric flux: E·dA

Electric field E
Oriented area element dA

The direction of dA is always perpendicular to the surface.

In this example, E·dA is (E)(dA) cos 145°.

Electric Flux
Flux

E E E dA
dA dA E

Definition of an element of electric flux: E·dA

Electric field E
Oriented area element dA

The direction of dA is always perpendicular to the surface.

In this example, 0 ≤ E·dA ≤ (E)(dA).

Gauss’s law


q
 E = E  dA =
0

The total flux ФE (the sum of all the fluxes) through a closed
surface equals the total charge inside the surface divided by ε0.
Gauss’s law


q
 E = E  dA =
0

The total flux ФE (the sum of all the fluxes) through a closed
surface equals the total charge inside the surface divided by ε0.

If there is no charge inside a

closed surface, then all the field
lines entering must also leave!
Then the total flux is zero.
Gauss’s law


q
 E = E  dA =
0

ФE > 0
Gauss’s law


q
 E = E  dA =
0

ФE = 0
Gauss’s law


q
 E = E  dA =
0

ФE < 0
 Essence of Gauss’s law

▪ The field strength → is proportional to the density of field lines (the number per unit area),
▪ Therefore, E · da → is proportional to the number of lines passing through the infinitesimal
area da.
▪ The dot product picks out the component of da along the direction of E, it is the area in the
plane perpendicular to E that we have in mind when we say that the density of field lines is
the number per unit area.
▪ This suggests that the flux through any closed surface is a measure of the total charge inside.
For the field lines that originate on a positive charge must either pass out through the surface
or else terminate on a negative charge inside (Fig. 16a).
▪ On the other hand, a charge outside the surface will contribute nothing to the total flux, since
its field lines pass in one side and out the other (Fig. 16b).
where Qenc is the total charge enclosed within the surface. This is the quantitative statement of
Gauss’s law.
This equation carries the same message as the previous one, it is Gauss’s law in differential form
Symmetry is crucial to this application of Gauss’s law. As far as I
know, there are only three kinds of symmetry that work
Application of Gauss’s Law to Calculate Electric Field
Example: Electric field due to a point charge q

Let’s use Gauss’s law to derive the electric field of a point charge q.
Construct a gaussian sphere of radius r centered on the point charge. By
symmetry, E must be radial, and E must be constant and so


 E = E  dA = ( E )(4 r 2 ) .
r
Now we apply Gauss’s law,
q
=  E = 4E r 2 ,
0

and immediately obtain E = q/4πε0r2, which is Coulomb’s law.

r
R
Continued ….
r
R
Please note, the volume element appropriate to cylindrical coordinates were used, and integrated
 from 0 to 2π, dz from 0 to l. A prime on the integration variable s’ was put to distinguish it from
the radius s of the Gaussian surface.
Continued ….
Example 5. An infinite plane carries a uniform surface charge σ.
Find its electric field.
Gaussian
Solution: Draw a “Gaussian pillbox”, extending equal distances above pillbox
and below the plane (Fig. 22). Apply Gauss’s law to this surface:
Applications

Gauss’s law makes it easy to obtain the electric field when there
is symmetry to help us. For example, what is the electric field of
an infinite rod with uniform charge density λ? Let the rod be the
axis of a cylinder of radius ρ and height h; by symmetry, we have

h q
=
0 0 
=  E = E  dA = ( E )( 2h) ,

E 
so E = .
E
2 0
Applications

Similarly, we can use Gauss’s law to calculate the electric field of

a plane with uniform charge density σ. If we take a box of any
cross-sectional area A and enclose part of the plane in the box, the
electric flux will be zero on the sides of the box and 2EA through
the top and bottom of the box. Thus

A q 
=
0 0 
=  E = E  dA = 2 EA , so E =
2 0
.
Gauss’s law

• Gauss’s law is often more convenient than Coulomb’s law.

• Gauss’s law implies Coulomb’s law.

• Coulomb’s law is true only for static charges (just as Newton’s

law for the gravitational force is true only for static masses) but
Gauss’s law is true also for moving charges.
 P

This infinite plane has a uniform charge density σ, except that a

disk of radius R is missing. The point P is on the symmetry axis
at a height z above the plane. What is the electric field EP at P?
 P
z


Answer: Including the disk, we would have E plane = zˆ .
2 0

  z 
The field due to the disk is E disk = 1 −  zˆ .
2 0  R2 + z 2 

Problem Find the electric field at a distance z above the center of a circular loop
of radius r that carries a uniform line charge λ. The figure illustrates the situation.

Answer First draw the electric field lines as shown in the figure below to
get an idea about the situation.
▪ The horizontal components will cancel each other out dE1 cos dE2 cos
▪ The vertical components, however, will be added
dE1 dE2

dE1 sin dE2 sin

dl dl
dq = (Q/4R2)*(2RdR)
= *(2RdR)
dE⊥ = (1/40)
 P
z

The electric field is a vector field, hence EP + Edisk = Eplane and

the field at the point P is EP = Eplane – Edisk :

   z   z
EP = zˆ − 1 −  zˆ = zˆ .
2 0 2 0  2
+ 2  2 0 R2 + z 2
 R z
A conducting sphere carrying a charge Q is surrounded by a
spherical conducting shell.
(a) What is the total charge on the inner surface of the shell?
(b) A point charge q is placed outside the shell. Now what is
the total charge on the inner surface of the shell? Q
(c) Now the point charge q is between the shell and the
sphere. What is the total charge on the inner surface of the
shell?
(d) Are the answers the same if the sphere and shell are not
concentric?
(a) What is the total charge on the inner surface of the shell?

Answer: E vanishes everywhere inside a conductor.

Q
(Otherwise, electrons would rearrange themselves in order to
make it vanish.) Hence the flux through the surface shown
vanishes. Hence the total charge inside the surface vanishes.
Hence the charge on the inner surface of the shell must be –Q.
(b) A point charge q is placed outside the shell. Now what is the q
total charge on the inner surface of the shell?

Answer: E still vanishes everywhere inside a conductor. Hence Q

the flux through the surface shown still vanishes. Hence the total
charge inside the surface still vanishes. Hence the charge on the
inner surface of the shell must still be –Q. The point charge
outside can’t change these facts.
(c) Now the point charge q is between the shell and the sphere.
What is the total charge on the inner surface of the shell?

Q q
Answer: E still vanishes everywhere inside a conductor. Hence
the flux through the surface shown still vanishes. Hence the total
charge inside the surface still vanishes. But now the charge
inside the inner surface of the shell is Q + q. Hence the charge
on the inner surface of the shell must be –Q – q.
(d) Are the answers the same if the sphere and shell are not
concentric?
Q

Answer: Yes – we never assumed that the sphere and shell

were concentric.