Gauss’s Law: Gauss’s gives the relation between the electric flux through any closed hypothetical

surface ( called a Gaussian surface) and the charge enclosed by the surface.

It states that “ the electric flux through any closed surface is equal to times the net charge ‘q’ enclosed

by the surface. That is .

This is the Integral form of Gauss’s law.

Explanation: In the above equation ‘q’ is the net charge , Taking its algebraic sign in to account. If the
surface encloses equal and opposite charges, the flux is zero. Charge outside the surface makes no
contribution to the value of ‘q’ nor does the exact location of the inside charges affect this value.

Gauss’s law can be used to evaluate E if the charge distribution is so symmetric that by proper choice of a
Gaussian surface we can easily evaluate the integral. Conversely, if E is known for all points on a given closed
surface, Gauss’s law can be used to compute the charge inside. If E has an outword component for every point

on a closed surface, will be positive and there must be a net positive charge within the surface. If E has an
inward component for every point on a closed surface, there must be a net negative charge within the surface.

Derivation of Coulomb’s law from Gauss’s law:

Coulomb’s can be derived from Gauss’s law. Let us consider an isolated positive point
charge ‘q’ and draw a Gaussian sphere of radius ‘r’ with ‘q’ as center. By symmetry, the electric field E at any
point on the surface of the sphere is along the outward normal at that point and has the same magnitude at every
point on the surface.Thus any patch taken on the surface, both the electric field vector E and the area vector ds
are along the same direction. That is the angle between them is ‘o’.

There fore

Hence, the flux through this surface is given by

Since E is constant it may be put out side the integral, there fore

But ( area of the surface)

(OR)

This expression gives the magnitude of the electric field strength at a point distance ‘r’ from a point charge ‘q’.

If we put a test charge at that point , then the magnitude of the force experienced by the test charge will be

which is Coulomb’s law.

Thus the Gauss’s law is equivalent to Coulomb’s law and serves equally well as the basic law of electrostatics.

Applications of Gauss’s law:

Let us draw a co-axial Gaussian cylindrical surface of length ‘l’ through ‘p’. Because of the symmetry, the
magnitude E will be the same at all points on the surface, and directed radially out word. Thus for any patch
taken on the surface, both the electric field vector E and area vector ds are along the same direction. There fore
we have

Hence the electric flux through the Gaussian surface is (E is same for all
patches)
The flux through plane caps (ends) of the surface is zero because E and ds are at right angles everywhere on
these surfaces .

Hence the total flux through the Gaussian is

But by Gauss’s law, this must be equal to ,where ‘q’ is the net charge enclosed by the gaussian surface.

Hence so that

(OR)

The direction of E is radially outward (for positive charge).