Chapter 22

Gauss’s Law

PowerPoint® Lectures for

University Physics, Thirteenth Edition
– Hugh D. Young and Roger A. Freedman

Lectures by Wayne Anderson

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 Goals for Chapter 22

• To use the electric field at a surface to determine the

charge within the surface

• To learn the meaning of electric flux and how to

calculate it

• To learn the relationship between the electric flux

through a surface and the charge within the surface

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 Goals for Chapter 22

• To use Gauss’s law to calculate electric fields

• Recognizing symmetry

• Setting up two-dimensional surface integrals

• To learn where the charge on a conductor is located

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 Charge and electric flux
• Positive charge within the box produces outward
electric flux through the surface of the box.

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 Charge and electric flux
• Positive charge within the box produces outward
electric flux through the surface of the box.

More charge = more flux!

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 Charge and electric flux
• Negative charge produces inward flux.

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 Charge and electric flux
• More negative charge – more inward flux!

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 Zero net charge inside a box
• Three cases of zero net charge inside a box
• No net electric flux through surface of box!

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 Zero net charge inside a box
• Three cases of zero net charge inside a box
• No net electric flux through surface of box!

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 Zero net charge inside a box
• Three cases of zero net charge inside a box
• No net electric flux through surface of box!

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 Zero net charge inside a box
• Three cases of zero net charge inside a box
• No net electric flux through surface of box!

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 What affects the flux through a box?
• Doubling charge within box doubles flux.

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 What affects the flux through a box?
• Doubling charge within box doubles flux.

• Doubling size of box does NOT change flux.

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 Uniform E fields and Units of Electric Flux

For a UNIFORM E field (in space)

= E·A = EA cos(°)

C · m2 = Nm2/C

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 Calculating electric flux in uniform fields

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 Calculating electric flux in uniform fields

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 Calculating electric flux in uniform fields

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 Example 22.1 - Electric flux through a disk
Disk of radius 0.10 m with n at 30 degrees to E, with a
magnitude of 2.0 x 103 N/C. What is the flux?

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 Example 22.1 - Electric flux through a disk
Disk of radius 0.10 m with n at 30 degrees to E, with a
magnitude of 2.0 x 103 N/C. What is the flux?

 = E·A = EA cos(30°)
A = r2 = 0.0314 m2

 =54 Nm2/C

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 Example 22.1 - Electric flux through a disk
Disk of radius 0.10 m with n at 30 degrees to E, with a
magnitude of 2.0 x 103 N/C. What is the flux? What if
n is perpendicular to E? Parallel to E?

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 Electric flux through a cube
• An imaginary cube of side L is in a region of uniform
E. Find the flux through each side…

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 Electric flux through a sphere

 = ∫ E·dA

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 Electric flux through a sphere

 = ∫ E·dA
E = kq/r2
= 1/(40) q/r2
and is parallel to dA
everywhere on the surface
 = ∫ E·dA = E ∫dA = EA

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 Electric flux through a sphere

 = ∫ E·dA

E = kq/r2 and is parallel to dA

everywhere on the surface

 = ∫ E·dA = E ∫dA = EA

For q = +3.0nC, flux through sphere of radius r=.20 m?

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

Electric Flux is produced by charge

in space

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

You integrate over a CLOSED

surface (two dimensions!)

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

E field is a VECTOR

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

Infinitesimal area element dA is

also a vector; this is what you sum

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

Dot product tells you to find the part

of E that is PARALLEL to dA at that
point (perpendicular to the surface)

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

Dot product is a scalar: E·dA =

ExdAx + EydAy + EzdAz = |E||dA|cos

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

The TOTAL amount of charge…

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 Gauss’ Law

… but ONLY charge inside S

counts!

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

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 Gauss’ Law

= ∫ E·dA =qenc
0
S

The electrical permittivity of free space,

through which the field is acting.

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 Why is Gauss’ Law Useful?

• Given info about a distribution of electric

charge, find the flux through a surface
enclosing that charge.

•Given info about the flux through a closed

surface, find the total charge enclosed by that
surface.

•For highly symmetric distributions, find the E

field itself rather than just the flux.

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 Gauss’ Law for Spherical Surface…

• Flux through sphere is

independent of size of
sphere

• Flux depends only on

charge inside.

 = ∫ E·dA = +q/0

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 Point charge inside a nonspherical surface

As before, flux is independent of surface &

depends only on charge inside.

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 Positive and negative flux
• Flux is positive if enclosed charge is positive, &
negative if charge is negative.

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 Conceptual Example 22.4
• What is the flux through the surfaces A, B, C, and D?

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 Conceptual Example 22.4
• What is the flux through the surfaces A, B, C, and D?

A = +q/0

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 Conceptual Example 22.4
• What is the flux through the surfaces A, B, C, and D?

B = -q/0 A = +q/0

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 Conceptual Example 22.4
• What is the flux through the surfaces A, B, C, and D?

B = -q/0 A = +q/0

C = 0 !

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 Conceptual Example 22.4
• What is the flux through the surfaces A, B, C, and D?

B = -q/0 A = +q/0

C = 0 !

D = 0 !!

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 Applications of Gauss’s law
• Under electrostatic conditions, any excess charge on a conductor
resides entirely on its surface.

• Under electrostatic conditions, E field inside a conductor is 0!

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 Applications of Gauss’s law
• Under electrostatic conditions, any excess charge on a conductor
resides entirely on its surface.

• Under electrostatic conditions, E field inside

a conductor is 0!

WHY ???

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 Applications of Gauss’s law
• Under electrostatic conditions, any excess charge on a conductor
resides entirely on its surface.

• Under electrostatic conditions, E field inside

a conductor is 0!

• Assume the opposite! IF E field inside a conductor

is not zero, then …
– E field WILL act on free charges in conductor
– Those charges WILL move in response to the force of the field
– They STOP moving when net force = 0
– Which means IF static, THEN no field inside conductor!

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 Applications of Gauss’s law
• Under electrostatic conditions, field outside ANY spherical
conductor looks just like a point charge!

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

·E = ?

·E = ?

Charge/meter = 

·E = ?
·E = ?

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

Charge/meter = 

·E = ?

• You know charge, you WANT E field (Gauss’ Law!)

• Choose Gaussian Surface with symmetry to match

charge distribution to make calculating ∫ E·dA easy!

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

Imagine closed cylindrical Gaussian Surface

around the wire a distance r away…

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

• Look at ∫ E·dA; remember CLOSED surface!

• Three components: the cylindrical side,
and the two ends. Need flux across each!

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•E is orthogonal to dA at the end caps.

•E is parallel (radially outwards) to dA on cylinder

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•E is constant in value everywhere on the cylinder

at a distance r from the wire!

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•E is parallel to dA everywhere on the cylinder, so

E ◦ dA = EdA
 = ∫ E·dA= ∫ EdA

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

dA

rd

d dl
r

•The integration over area is two-dimensional

|dA| = (rd dl

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•E is constant in value everywhere on the cylinder

at a distance r from the wire!
 = ∫ E·dA = ∫ ∫ E(rd)dl

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•E is constant in value everywhere on the cylinder

at a distance r from the wire!
 = ∫ E·dA = ∫ ∫ (E) · (rd)dl = E ∫ ∫ rddl

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•Limits of integration?
• dgoes from 0 to 2
• dl goes from 0 to l (length of cylinder)

 = ∫ E·dA = E ∫ ∫ rddl

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

Surface Area of
cylinder (but not
end caps, since
net flux there = 0

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

•E is constant in value everywhere on the cylinder

at a distance r from the wire!
 = ∫ E·dA = (E) x (Surface Area!) = E(2r)l

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

How much charge enclosed in the closed surface?

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

How much charge enclosed in the closed surface?

Q(enclosed) = (charge density) x (length) = l

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

So… q/0 = (l) /0

Gauss’ Law gives us the flux

 = E(2r) l = q/0 = (l) /0

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 Example 22.6: Field of a line charge
• E around an infinite positive wire of charge density ?

Don’t
forget E
is a
vector!
And… E = (l) /0 r = ( / 2r 0) r
(2r) l
Unit vector
radially out
from line
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 Field of a sheet of charge
• Example 22.7 for an infinite plane sheet of charge?

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 Field of a sheet of charge
• Example 22.7: What is E field a distance x away for an infinite
plane sheet of charge with Q coulombs/sq. meter ?

Find Q enclosed to start!

Qenc = A

Where  is the
charge/area of the sheet

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 Field of a sheet of charge
• Example 22.7: What is E field a distance x away for an infinite
plane sheet of charge with Q coulombs/sq. meter ?

Flux through entire closed

surface of the cylinder?

∫ E·dA

= E1A (left) + E2A (right) (only)

Why no flux through the cylinder?

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 Field of a sheet of charge
• Example 22.7: What is E field a distance x away for an infinite
plane sheet of charge with Q coulombs/sq. meter ?

Flux through entire closed

surface of the cylinder?

∫ E·dA = Qenc /0

= 2EA = Qenc /0 = A / 0

So

E =  / 20 for infinite sheet

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 Ex. 22.8 Field between two parallel conducting plates
• E field between oppositely charged parallel conducting plates.

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 Field between two parallel conducting plates
• Superposition of TWO E fields, from each plate…

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 Field between two parallel conducting plates
• Superposition of 2 fields from infinite sheets with same charge!

For EACH sheet,

E =  / 20

And  is the same in

magnitude, directions of E
field from both sheets is the
same, so

Enet = 2( / 20) =  / 0

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 Ex. 22.9 - A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field both inside and outside a sphere uniformly filled with
charge.

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 Ex. 22.9 - A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field both inside and outside a sphere uniformly filled with
charge.

• E field outside a sphere

uniformly filled with charge?
EASY
• Looks like a point=charge
field!

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 A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field inside a sphere uniformly filled with charge.

Find Qenclosed to start!

Start with charge density function 

Qtotal/Volume (if uniform)



Could be non-uniform! r) r

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 A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field inside a sphere uniformly filled with charge.

Find Qenclosed in sphere of radius r <R?

Qenclosed = (4/3 r3 ) x 

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 A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field inside a sphere uniformly filled with charge.

Find Flux through surface?

•E field uniform, constant at any r

•E is parallel to dA at surface

so…

= ∫ E·dA = E(4r2)

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 A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field inside a sphere uniformly filled with charge.

= ∫ E·dA = E(4r2) = (4/3 r3 ) x 

And

E = r/30 (for r < R)

or

E = Qr/4R30 (for r < R)

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 Ex. 22.9 - A uniformly charged insulating sphere
• E field both inside and outside a sphere uniformly filled with
charge.

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 Charges on conductors with cavities
• E = 0 inside conductor…

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 Charges on conductors with cavities
• Empty cavity inside conductor has no field,
nor charge on inner surface

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 Charges on conductors with cavities
• Isolated charges inside cavity “induce” opposite charge, canceling field
inside the conductor!

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 A conductor with a cavity
• Conceptual Example 22.11

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 Electrostatic shielding
• A conducting box (a Faraday cage) in an electric field
shields the interior from the field.

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 Electrostatic shielding
• A conducting box (a Faraday cage) in an electric field
shields the interior from the field.
See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvtfE-ha8dE

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