CH 22 GAUSS’S LAW I

Intended Learning Outcomes – after this lecture you will learn:

1. The meaning of electric flux.
2. Gauss’s law.
3. Distribution of excess charge in a conductor.

Know charge distribution → know electric field (by Coulomb’s law)

Inverse problem: know electric field → know charge distribution? In principle yes, by mapping
out the field in 3D space using a test charge

But tedious to map out the field in 3D

What if we know the field on the surfaces of the (imaginary) box only? Consider electric field
lines flowing into and out of the box, called electric flux (“flux” meaning “flow”, just like a
fluid)

With a net charge inside box, a net electric flux flow in/out

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 1

With no net charge, electric flux flowing in and out cancels, and net flux is zero

No charge nearby
To summarize:
1. A net inward/outward electric flux through a close surface means that the charge enclosed is
negative/positive.
2. Charges outside the close surface give no net flux through the surface.
3. Net flux ∝ charge enclosed, but independent of size of closed surface.

To properly define the electric flux through a surface, draw analogy with fluid flow:
Define area vector �𝑨𝑨⃗ = 𝐴𝐴𝒏𝒏
�, where 𝒏𝒏
� is the outward (may be ambiguous unless for a close
surface) normal unit vector
surface ⊥ flow surface at angle 𝜙𝜙 to flow
��⃗
𝑨𝑨 �⃗
flow direction 𝒗𝒗
𝜙𝜙
��⃗
𝑨𝑨

𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣 𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣
volume flow through after volume flow through after 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 is
𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 is 𝐴𝐴(𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣) 𝐴𝐴(𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣) cos 𝜙𝜙 = �𝑨𝑨⃗ ⋅ 𝒗𝒗
�⃗ 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑
Electric flux due to a uniform field through a flat surface is defines as
�⃗ ⋅ 𝑨𝑨
Φ𝐸𝐸 = 𝑬𝑬 ��⃗ = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 cos 𝜙𝜙
SI unit is Nm2/C

a major difference between a fluid flow and an electric flux – while arrows in a fluid flow
indicate the direction in which the fluid is flowing, arrows in electric flux is not the direction a
test charge will go.

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 2

Example 22.1 Electric flux through a disk
𝐸𝐸 = 2.0 × 103 N/C, electric flux through the disk

Φ𝐸𝐸 = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 cos 𝜙𝜙 = (2.0 × 103 N/C)𝜋𝜋(0.10m)2 cos 30°

= 54 Nm2 /C

Example 22.2 Electric flux through a cube

`
no net charge enclosed leads to no net electric flux

Example 22.3 Electric flux through a sphere

Surface is not flat!!
��⃗
Solution: break up surface into infinitesimal flat patches 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
�⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
Φ𝐸𝐸 = � 𝑬𝑬 �⃗ → � 𝑬𝑬
�⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
�⃗

sum over infinitesimal surface integral

patches

Anywhere on the surface of the sphere, 𝐸𝐸 = 𝑞𝑞/(4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟 2 ) and 𝑬𝑬�⃗ ∥ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨

��⃗, i.e., 𝑬𝑬
�⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
�⃗ = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸
1 𝑞𝑞 𝑞𝑞
Φ𝐸𝐸 = � �𝑬𝑬⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
�⃗ = � 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 = 𝐸𝐸 � 𝑑𝑑𝑑𝑑 = 4𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2
=
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑟𝑟 2 𝜖𝜖0
while E depends on r, Φ𝐸𝐸 independent of size of close surface!
This can be generalized to any close surface and charge distribution!

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 3

Gauss’s Law
The total electric flux through a closed surface (called a Gaussian surface) is equal to the net
electric charge inside the surface, divided by 𝜖𝜖0

How to make sense out of it?

No charge enclosed, electric field lines cannot

start/end inside it, flux in = flux out, no net flux

𝑅𝑅 2 cancels out, independent of size of surface

1 𝑞𝑞 2)
𝑞𝑞
Φ𝐸𝐸 = 𝐸𝐸𝐸𝐸 = (4𝜋𝜋𝑅𝑅 =
4𝜋𝜋𝜖𝜖0 𝑅𝑅 2 𝜖𝜖0

turns Coulomb’s law (a physical law in terms of force) into

a geometric law
1/𝑟𝑟 2 in Coulomb’s law is because of the dimensionality of
the 3D space

If closed surface is not spherical, the projection

�𝑬𝑬⃗ ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨
�⃗ makes sure that the effective tangential
surface area is the same as a sphere

Question: rank the 5 Gaussian surfaces in increasing electric

flux through them, from –ve to +ve

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 4

Electrostatic condition means that a there is no net flow of charge (current) inside a conductor
Under this condition,
1. electric field inside a conductor must be zero (even for charged conductors), otherwise
charge will flow leading to a current inside the conductor
2. electric field on the surface of a conductor must be perpendicular to the surface, otherwise
charge will flow on the surface, leading to a surface current (why wouldn’t charge flies out
from the conductor surface?)
A consequence of Gauss’s law – excess charge on a conductor resides entirely on its surface
Choose a Gaussian surface inside the
conductor but arbitrarily close to surface,
from Gauss’s law
Anywhere inside a
Φ𝐸𝐸 = � ��⃗ ��⃗ = 𝑄𝑄encl /𝜖𝜖0
𝑬𝑬 ⋅ 𝑑𝑑𝑨𝑨 �⃗ = 0
𝑬𝑬 conductor, �𝑬𝑬⃗ = 0
otherwise its
�𝑬𝑬⃗ = 0 ⇒ Φ𝐸𝐸 = 0 ⇒ 𝑄𝑄encl = 0 , enclose electrons will flow
no net charge!

All excess charge must reside on the surface

What if the conductor is hollow?

Excess charge still resides on the outer
surface (same argument as above)

How about inner surface? Our argument only

shows that there is no net charge on inner
surface. But is it possible that equal and
opposite charges reside on difference places on
the inner surface?
Excess charge +
induced charge
(can be of
opposite sign) Not possible (otherwise
reside on the charge will flow), unless
outer surface there is a charge inside the
cavity

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 5

Example 22.11
A hollowed conductor has a net charge +7
nC. Inside the cavity, there is a charge -5 nC
but not touching it. How much charge resides
on the outer and inner surfaces?

result independent of location of the -5 nC

charge

Clicker Questions

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 6

Ans. Q22.2) B, Q22.4) D, Q-RT22.1) ADBC

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 7

Video Solutions of Textbook Examples for this Lecture

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 8

For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Friedrich_Gauss,

PHYS1114 Lecture 3 Gauss’s law I P. 9