Make Each Day

Extra-Ordinarily Special

Be a blessing everyday!
MELCs
1. Calculate electric flux.

2. Use Gauss’s law to infer electric field due to uniformly

distributed charges on long wires, spheres, and large plates.
3. Solve problems involving electric charges, dipoles, forces,
fields, and flux.
 An electric charge is surrounded by an electric field.
Besides using electric lines of force, a quantity called electric flux is used to describe the electric field at any
distance from the charge:

Electric Flux
• measure of the electric field through a given surface

• product of the electric field perpendicular to a surface and the area

of the surface:
Φ = EA
• SI unit: Nm²/C
 Φ = EA
(Special Equation for Φ)

Conditions for the Special Equation:

• Uniform electric field (Electric field has the same magnitude at all points on the surface A)
• Electric field is perpendicular to the surface
• Surface has a regular shape (Such as the shape of a sphere, a cylinder, a circle, etc.)

When the above conditions are not satisfied,

the general equation for Φ is used:

Φ = ∫E.dA
 There are different charge distributions.
The relationship between a charge distribution and the electric field it produces can be derived
using Gauss’ Law:

Gauss’ Law
• The electric flux through a closed surface (called a Gaussian surface) is equal to the
enclosed charge divided by the permittivity of free space:

Φ = Q/ε0
where, ε0 = permittivity of free space or vacuum
= 9 x 10-12 C²/N.m² (Lowest permittivity)
= 1/(4πk) = 1/(4π(9 x 109 N.m2/C2))

permittivity
• measure of a material's ability to store an electric field
• The lower its value, the greater is the ability to store an electric field.
 Gaussian surface

Question
Suppose a Gaussian surface
encloses no charge, what is
the electric flux through the
Gaussian surface?

Q=0
Answer
Applying Gauss’ Law:
Φ = Q/ε0
Since Q=0, then:
Φ=0
 Gaussian surface

Φin is -
Question
Suppose a Gaussian surface
encloses no charge but is
penetrated by an electric
field, what is the electric flux
E
through the Gaussian
surface? Φout is +
Q=0
Answer
In this case, the electric flux is the combination of the electric flux that enters
(which is negative) and the electric flux that exits (which is positive):
Φ = Φin + Φout
Since the amount of electric flux that enters equals the amount that exits, then:
Φ=0
 Gaussian surface

Question
Suppose a Gaussian surface
+
encloses two opposite charges
so that the net charge is zero,
what is the electric flux through
the Gaussian surface?
-
Net charge = 0

Answer
In this case, the electric flux is the combination of the electric flux due to the negative charge
(which is negative because its electric field enters the surface) and the electric flux due to the positive charge
(which is positive because its electric field exits the surface):
Φ = Φneg + Φpos
Since the electric flux due to the negative charge cancels the electric flux due to the positive
charge:
Φ=0
 Gaussian surface

Question
Suppose a Gaussian surface
encloses a positive charge, what +Q
is the electric flux through the
Gaussian surface?

Net charge = +Q

Answer
Applying Gauss’ Law:
Φ = +Q/ε0
 Gaussian surface

Question
Suppose a Gaussian surface
encloses a negative charge, what
is the electric flux through the
-Q
Gaussian surface?

Net charge = -Q

Answer
Applying Gauss’ Law:
Φ = -Q/ε0
Significance of Gauss’ Law
• It is used to determine the electric field produced
by a given charge distribution, for example:
- a charged sphere
- a long, straight, charged wire
- a parallel-plate capacitor
- etc.

Gaussian surface
• an imaginary closed surface
• can be of any shape, but the most useful GSs are those that mimic the shape of
the given charge distribution
Electric Field Produced By A Charged Sphere

+ r
A = 4πr²
+ + R

+
Using Gauss’ Law to determine the electric field produced by
a charged sphere:

Φ = Q/ε0 (Since the spherical Gaussian surface satisfies the 3 conditions for the special equation for Φ)

EA = Q/ε0
E(4πr²) = Q/ε0
E = Q/4πr²ε0 (Since k = 1/4πε0)

E = kQ/r² (The electric field is identical to that of a point charge Q at the center of the sphere.)

E = kQ/R² (The electric field at the surface of the sphere.)

 Electric Field Produced By A Long, Straight, Charged Wire

A = 2πrl

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+
Using GL to determine the electric field produced by a long,
straight, charged wire:

Φ = Q/ε0 (Since the tubal Gaussian surface satisfies the 3 conditions for the special equation for Φ)

EA = Q/ε0
E(2πrl) = Q/ε0
E = Q/2πrlε0 (Let Q/l = λ, where λ = charge per unit length, C/m)

E = λ/2πε0r
 Electric Field Produced By A Parallel-plate Capacitor

A
+ -
+ -
+ -
+ -
capacitor
• a device used to store electric charges, consisting of one or more
pairs of conductors, called plates, separated by an insulator
Using GL to determine the electric field produced by a
parallel-plate capacitor:

Φ = Q/ε0 (Since the Gaussian surface A satisfies the 3 conditions for the special equation for Φ)

EA = Q/ε0
E = Q/Aε0 (Let Q/A = σ, where σ = charge per unit area, C/m²)

E = σ/ε0 (Obviously, the electric field does not depend on the distance from the plate)
Sample Problem
Determine the electric flux for a
Gaussian surface that contains 100
million electrons.
Φ = Q/ε0
= (1x108)(-1.6 x10-19 C)/(9 x 10-12 C²/N.m²)
= -1.78 N.m²/C
= -2 N.m²/C
A very long line of charged wire carries 0.4
C along each meter of length. Find the
electric field 0.3 m from the wire?

E = λ/2πε0r
= (0.4 C/m)/((2π)(9 x 10-12 C²/N.m²)(0.3m))
= 2.36 x 1010 N/C
= 2 x 1010 N/C