10 | S p u r l o c k ’ s T e c h n i c a l P h y s i c s I I L e c t u r e N o t e s

Lecture 3: Gauss’s Law and Electric Potential

 
Electric Flux : E  E  
A
 Area
Electric
Flux

Analogy: Rain accumulating in a barrel.

If 2 inches of rain falls vertically and the opening at the top of a barrel
is 100 in2, how much rain falls in the barrel?
(2 inches)(100 in2) = 200 in3
What if the rain’s path makes a 30o angle with the vertical?
(2 inches)(100 in2)Cos (30o) = 173 in3
This is a dot product.
“Flux” is very similar in meaning to “flow”. What’s flowing in FE?
Nothing. That’s why it’s “flux” and not “flow”.
  QENC
Gauss’s Law : E   E  A 
  
Electric
Flux Sum m edOver 
0
Closed Surface Enclosed Charge
(divided by a const)

1
• “Permittivity of Free Space” ε0 = 8.85x10-12C2/(Nm2)  0 
4k
•

Example: The geometric center of a cube is located at the origin. If a 30.0 nC point charge is also at
the origin, what is the electric flux that passes through one of the cube’s faces?

1 QENC 30.0  10 9 C Nm 2
E     5.65
6 0 (6)[8.85  10 12 C 2 /( Nm 2 )] C

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11 | S p u r l o c k ’ s T e c h n i c a l P h y s i c s I I L e c t u r e N o t e s

Example: A conductor has a surface charge density of σ = 3.25μC/m2. Determine the electric field at
the surface.
  QENC
EA
surface 0
  
Back Side (circle) : E  0 EA0
   
Sides (tube) : A  E A  E 0
   
Front Side (circle) : A || E E  A  EA

QENC QENC  3.25  106 C / m 2

EA  E    367kN / C
0  0 A  0 8.85  1012 C 2 /( N  m 2 )

Example: Find the Electric Field due to a point charge Q using Gauss’s Law.
  QENC
 E  dA  0
   
dA || E E  dA  E  dA  E  dA  E  dA  E (4r
2
)

Q
E ( 4r 2 ) 
0
1 Q Q
E k 2
4 0 r 2
r

Example: A non-conducting sphere of radius R has a non-uniform charge distribution, ρ = α + βr, where
r is the distance from the sphere’s center. Determine the electric field as a function of r.

  QENC
  dA 
E
0
We have spherical symmetry.
   
dA || E E  dA  E  dA  E  dA  E  dA  E (4r 2 )
r
QENC   dV   (  r )(4r 2 )(dr)
0

r r
4 3
r
1 1 
QENC  4  (r  r )dr  4  r 3  r 4  
2 3
r   r 4
0  3 4  r 0 3
 r r 2
QENC 4 r 3 / 3   r 4  3  4 , for r  R
E E E 0 0
4 0 r 2 4 0r 2   R 3
 R 4
 , for r  R
 3 0 r 2 4 0 r 2

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12 | S p u r l o c k ’ s C o l l e g e P h y s i c s I I L e c t u r e N o t e s

 
PE W  F d  
Electrical Potential : 
 V      E d
q q q
Change in
electrical 
potential q  test charge Assuming F &E
are constant

• Positive charges accelerate as they move from higher to lower V.

• Negative charges accelerate as they move from lower to higher V.
J V J N
• Units: Volt (V) 1V  1 Note: 1  1 1
C m mC C
•

Example: Determine the number of particles (each with charge e) that pass between the terminals of a
12.0 V car battery when a 60.0 W headlight burns for an hour.
W
P W  Pt  (60.0W )(3600s)  216kJ
t
W W 216 kJ
V  q   18 .0kC
q V 12 .0V
q 18000C
N  19
 1.13  1023 particles
e 1.60  10 C

The Electron Volt : a new unit of energy

• An electron volt (eV) is the energy acquired by an electron moving through a potential of 1V
• W  qV  eV  (1.60 10 19 C )(1 J / C )  1.60 10 19 J
• It’s normally used for atomic energy transitions.

Example : The Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

• In the LHC, protons are accelerated to an energy of 7TeV (7x1012 eV).
• This is 7000 times the energy it takes to make a proton from nothing.
• This is equivalent to having the proton pass through a potential of 7x1012 V
• The proton beams of the LHC have the kinetic energy of 900 cars going 62 mph.

Example: Determine the velocity of a proton, which after starting from rest is accelerated through a
potential of 252 V.

1
| W | qV  mv 2
2
2qV 2(1.60 1019 C )(252V )
v   220km / s
m 1.67 10 27 kg

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