What? — The Flux!

What? — The Flux!

What is the amount and sign of the
enclosed charge?
 What? — The Flux!
STRONG
E-Field
Angle
Matters Too
Weak
E-Field

θ
dA

Number of E-Lines
Through Differential Area
“dA” is a Measure of
Strength
 What? — The Flux
The Gauss Law!

The electric flux ɸ through a surface is the amount of electric field

that pierces the surface.

Guass’s law relates the electric field at points on a (closed)

Gaussian surface to the net charge enclosed by that surface.
 What? — The Flux
The Gauss’ Law!
The area vector for an area e element (patch element) on
a surface is a vector that is perpendicular to the element and
has a magnitude equal to the area dA of the element.
The electric flux dɸ through a patch element with area vector
is given by a dot product:

The total flux through a surface is given by:

 The Flux
Flat Surface, Uniform Field.

Figure 23-4 (a) An electric field vector pierces a small square patch
on a flat surface. (b) Only the x component actually pierces the
patch; the y component skims across it. (c) The area vector of the
patch is perpendicular to the patch, with a magnitude equal to the
patch’s area.
 What? The Flux!
Planar Surface

• Given: E
– planar surface, area A
– uniform field E
– E makes angle θ with NORMAL to
plane 
• Electric Flux:
normal
 ɸ = E•A = E A cos Ɵ
• Units: Nm2/C
• Visualize: “Flow of Wind” AREA = A=An
Through “Window”
 What? The Flux! General Case

An inward piercing field is negative flux.

An outward piercing field is positive
flux. A skimming field is zero flux.

Figure 23-5 A Gaussian surface of

arbitrary shape immersed in an electric
field. The surface is divided into small
squares of area
 Closed Surface: Gauss Law
To use Gauss’ law to relate flux and charge, we
need a closed
surface.

Consider the flux through small square

patches
Use an area vector that is perpendicular to a
patch and draw it pointing outward from the
surface (away from the interior)
If a field vector pierces outward, it and the
area vector are in the same direction, the angle
is 0, and cos 0 =1. So the flux is positive.
If a field vector pierces inward, the angle is
180 and cos 180 = -1. So the flux is negative.
If a field vector skims the surface (no
piercing), the dot product is zero (because cos
90 = 0) and so the flux is 0.
 What? The Flux!
General Surface
• For any general surface: break up into
infinitesimal planar patches
• Electric Flux
• Surface integral
• dA is a vector normal to each patch and has a E
magnitude |dA|= dA
• CLOSED surfaces: dA
– define the vector dA as pointing
OUTWARDS
– Inward E gives negative flux 𝚽
– Outward E gives positive flux 𝚽 E
Area = dA
dA
 What? The Flux!

• Closed cylinder of length L, radius R dA E

• Uniform E parallel to cylinder axis
• What is the total electric flux through
surface of cylinder?
L
(a) (2 RL)E
(b) 2( R2)E
(c) Zero
dA
R
 What? The Flux!

• Closed cylinder of length L, radius R dA E

• Uniform E parallel to cylinder axis
• What is the total electric flux through
surface of cylinder?
L
(a) (2 RL)E
(b) 2( R2)E
(c) Zero (R2)E–(R2)E=0
What goes in —
dA
MUST come out! R
Hint!
Surface area of sides of cylinder: 2RL
Surface area of top and bottom caps (each): R2
(a) front
+EA?
–EA?
0?
(b) rear
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) top
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) Whole cube

+EA?
–EA?
0?
(a) front
+EA?
–EA?
0?
(b) rear
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) top
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) Whole cube

+EA?
–EA?
0?
(a) front
+EA?
–EA?
0?
(b) rear
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) top
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) Whole cube

+EA?
–EA?
0?
(a) front
+EA?
–EA?
0?
(b) rear
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) top
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) Whole cube

+EA?
–EA?
0?
(a) front
+EA?
–EA?
0?
(b) rear
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(c) top
+EA?
–EA?
0?

(d) Whole cube

+EA?
–EA?
0?
 Electric Flux
• Spherical surface of radius R=1m; E is RADIALLY INWARDS and has EQUAL
magnitude of 10 N/C everywhere on surface
• What is the flux through the spherical surface?

(a) (4/3)R3 E = 13.33 Nm3/C

(b) 2R E = 20 Nm/C

(c) 4R2 E= 40 Nm2/C

 Electric Flux
• Spherical surface of radius R=1m; E is RADIALLY INWARDS and has EQUAL
magnitude of 10 N/C everywhere on surface
• What is the flux through the spherical surface?

(a) (4/3)R3 E = 13.33 Nm3/C

(b) 2R E = 20 Nm/C

(c) 4R2 E= 40 Nm2/C

Electric Flux: Example
r (Inward!)

q (Outward!)

Since r is Constant on the Sphere — Remove

E Outside the Integral!

Surface Area Sphere

Gauss’ Law:
Special Case!
 Gauss’ Law: General Case
• Consider any ARBITRARY
CLOSED surface S -- NOTE: this
does NOT have to be a “real”
physical object!
S
• The TOTAL ELECTRIC FLUX
through S is proportional to the
TOTAL CHARGE ENCLOSED!
• The results of a complicated
integral is a very simple formula: it
avoids long calculations!

(One of Maxwell’s 4 equations!)

Compute the Surface Integral
For each of the four Surfaces where +
is a proton and – an electron
Gauss’ Law
Gauss’ Law: ICPP
 Properties of Conductors
Inside a Conductor in Electrostatic
Equilibrium, the Electric Field Is ZERO.
Why?

Because If the Field Is Not Zero, Then

Charges Inside
the Conductor Would Be Moving.

SO: Charges in a Conductor Redistribute

Themselves Wherever They Are Needed
to Make the Field Inside the Conductor
ZERO.

Excess Charges Are Always on the

Surface of the Conductors.
 Gauss’ Law: Conducting Plane
• Infinite CONDUCTING plane with
uniform areal charge density s
• E is NORMAL to plane
• Construct Gaussian box as shown.
• Note that E = 0 inside conductor
 Gauss’s Law: Conducting ICPP
• Charged conductor of arbitrary shape: no
symmetry; non-uniform charge density
• What is the electric field near the surface where
+ + ++
the local charge density is σ? + +
(a) σ/ε0 + +
+ +
(b) Zero + +
(c) σ/2ε0 E=0

THIS IS A
GENERAL
RESULT FOR
CONDUCTORS!
 23-4 Applying Gauss’ Law: Cylindrical Symmetry

Figure shows a section of an infinitely long

cylindrical plastic rod with a uniform charge
density λ. The charge distribution and the
field have cylindrical symmetry. To find the
field at radius r, we enclose a section of the
rod with a concentric Gaussian cylinder of
radius r and height h.
The net flux through the cylinder from
Gauss’ Law reduces to

A Gaussian surface in the form of

a closed cylinder surrounds a
yielding section of a very long, uniformly
charged, cylindrical plastic rod.
 Gauss’ Law: Cylindrical Symmetry
• Charge of q = 10 C is uniformly spread
over a line of length L = 1 m.
r = 1 mm
E=?
• Use Gauss’ Law to compute magnitude
of E at a perpendicular distance of 1
L=1 m
mm from the center of the line.

• Approximate as infinitely long line

— E radiates outwards.

• Choose cylindrical surface of Line of Charge:

radius r, length L co-axial with line λ = q/L
of charge. Units: [C/m]
 Gauss’ Law: Cylindrical Symmetry
• Approximate as infinitely long
line — E radiates outwards. r = 1 mm
E=?
• Choose cylindrical surface of
radius r, length L co-axial with
line of charge. L=1m

dA || E so cos θ = 1
A-Rod
Insulating and Conducting Planes

Insulating Plate: Charge Distributed Homogeneously.

Q/2

Conducting Plate: Charge Distributed on the Outer Surfaces.

Electric Field Inside a Conductor is ZERO!
Two Insulating Sheets
The field from the plates cancels out so ignore them
and use Coulombs inverse square law for the
central charge only.
 Gauss’ Law: Spherical Symmetry
• Consider a POINT charge q & pretend
that you don’t know Coulomb’s Law
• Use Gauss’ Law to compute the electric
field at a distance r from the charge
• Use symmetry: r
– place spherical surface of radius R q
centered around the charge q
– E has same magnitude anywhere on
surface
– E normal to surface
 Electric Fields With Spherical
Symmetry: Shell Theorem
+10 C
A spherical shell has a charge of +10C and a
point charge of –15C at the center.
What is the electric field produced
OUTSIDE the shell?
-15C

If the shell is conducting?

Field Inside a Conductor is ZERO!
And if the shell is insulating? E
E=k(15C)/r2
Charged Shells
Behave Like a Point Charge of Total
E=0 E=k(5C)/r2
Charge “ Q” at the Center
Once Outside the Last Shell! r
Conducting
Electric Field & Force Law Depends on Geometry
Point of Charge: Field Spreads in 3D
Like Inverse Area of Sphere = 1/(4πr2)

Line of Charge: Field Spreads in 2D Like

Inverse Circumference of Circle = 1/(2πr)

Sheet of Charge: Field Spreads in 1D Like

A Constant — Does Not Spread!