Gauss's law Definition and 384 Threads

  1. S

    The Electric Field Due to a Thin Spherical Shell, Gauss's Law

    1. A thin spherical shell of radius a has a total charge Q distributed uniformly over its surface. Find the electric field at points outside the shell and inside the shell 2. \intE dA = Q/\epsilon 3. THis is an example in my textbook, and it claims that: The calculation for...
  2. T

    Gauss's Law long thin wire question

    Homework Statement A long thin wire carries a charge \lambda per unit length a) Use Gauss's Law on a cylinder to find magnitude of the E-Field at a distance from the centre of the wire b) Show that the electric field components (using cartesian coordinates) are of the form: E_x =...
  3. M

    Solving Gauss's Law Problem 1: Electric Field for r=3Rsub2

    1. A thick spherical shell has an inner radius Rsub1 and outer radius Rsub2, and for Rsub1 is less than r which is less than Rsub2, a volume charge density rho=C/r^3, where C is a constant. Find Electric Field for r=3Rsub2 My problem here is determining the excess charge of the shell. So I...
  4. B

    Gauss's Law Problem: Electric Field Inside a Charged Cylinder

    Homework Statement A long, thin straight wire w/ linear charge density lambda runs down the center of a thin, hollow metal cylinder of radius R. The cylinder has net linear charge density of 2lambda. Assume lambda is positive. Find an expression for the electric field strength inside the...
  5. M

    Solving Gauss's Law for Constant Electric Field: q, a, b

    Homework Statement The spherical region a < r < b carries a charge per unit volume of \rho = A/r, where A is a constant. At the center (r = 0) of the enclosed cavity is a point charge q. What should be the value of A so that the electric field in the region a< r < b has constant magnitude...
  6. 1

    Does Electric Flux Change with a Doubled Circle Diameter?

    Homework Statement Hi all, I'm having some difficulty with electric flux. Does electric flux stay the same if you double the diameter of a circle assuming the electric field is uniform? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks Homework Equations Electric flux= E.A...
  7. 1

    Need help understanding Gauss's Law

    Hi all, I'm having some difficulty with electric flux. Does electric flux stay the same if you double the diameter of a circle assuming the electric field is uniform? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
  8. E

    Gauss's Law for cylindrical metal tube enclosing a wire (coaxial cable)

    Homework Statement Immediately outside a very long cylindrical wire of radius r1 = 1mm, the electric field is 40kV/m directed towards the wire's surface. A hollow cylindrical metal tube with inner radius r2 = 3mm is now placed around the wire, to form a coaxial cable. What will be the charge...
  9. A

    Can Gauss's Law Be Applied to Non-Symmetric Charge Distributions?

    So I was doing this one problem in which there is a sphere of radius r and charge density row and there is a spherical cavity inside it whose center is at a distance r2 from the center of the bigger sphere. Now the question was what is the E field inside the cavity. My first and long...
  10. K

    How to Calculate the Electric Field Near a Long Charged Wire?

    Homework Statement Calculate the electric field at a point 2.00 cm perpendicular to the midpoint of a 1.94 m long thin wire carrying a total charge of 4.78 uC. Hint: You could integrate BUT if the wire is very long compared to the distance from the wire to where you are calculating the...
  11. P

    Square Pyramid Gauss's Law Trouble

    Homework Statement A pyramid with horizontal square base, 6.00 m on each side, and a height of 4.00 m is placed in a vertical electric field of 52.0 N/C. Calculate the total electric flux through the pyramid's slanted surfaces. Homework Equations Electric Flux = E dot dA The...
  12. O

    Does Distance Affect the Electric Field Strength Above a Charged Plate?

    So I'm trying to understand a couple things regarding this. lets say we have a plate that's charged to Q. and we want to find the E field of a point .1 meters above the plate. when i looked at the solution, it never took the .1 meters into account when calculating the strength of the E...
  13. M

    Gauss's Law to Symmetric Charge Distribution

    A 10.0 gram piece of styrofoam carries a net charge of -0.700\muC and floats above the center of a large horizontal sheet of plastic that has a uniform charge density on its surface. What is the charge per unit area on the plastic sheet? Homework Equations \Phi = E\intdA =...
  14. M

    Gauss's Law Homework: Find Surface Charge Density

    Homework Statement On a clear, sunny day, a vertical electrical field of about 116 N/C points down over flat ground. What is the surface charge density on the ground for these conditions? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution 116*8.83e-12= 1.0266e-9
  15. T

    Gauss's Law and the electric field

    I'm stuck on a problem trying to determine charge, and I'm hoping someone can help. Suppose that a = 5.00 cm, b = 20.0 cm, and c = 25.0 cm. Furthermore, suppose that the electric field at a point 15.5 cm from the center is measured to be 3.70 *103 N/C radially inward while the electric field...
  16. P

    Gauss's Law in 2D: Developing the Continuity Equation

    Homework Statement Is there an analog to Gauss's theorem (sorry about the title) in 2D. The reason is to develop the continuity equation in 2D.Homework Equations In 3D it is. \int_{S}{\bf A}. d{\bf S}=\int_{V}(\nabla . {\bf A})dV (please forgive my latex. A and dS should be vectors). The...
  17. A

    Solved: Gauss's Law Problem w/Infinite Slab of Charge

    [SOLVED] Gauss's Law problem Homework Statement An infinite slab of charge parallel to the yz-plane has density p for -b < x < b, 0 otherwise. Find the electric field at all points. The Attempt at a Solution I am able to do the electric field outside the slab. But I am off by a factor of...
  18. F

    Differential Form of Gauss's Law

    Could someone try and explain with the differential form means? I've only taken p to calculus 2 so I'm not really sure what divergence in the sense of this equation means. Also what is the difference in the two. I mean the integral form looks at an electric field and charge over a region, so...
  19. A

    Solving Gauss's Law Problem: Electric Fields in 4 Regions

    Homework Statement An infinitely wide conductor (shaded thing on top) is parallel to and at a distance d from an infinitely wide plane of charge (line on bottom) with surface charge density delta. What are the electric fields E_1 to E_4 in the regions 1 to 4? 1 ------------------------- 2 /...
  20. C

    Understanding Gauss's Law and Electric Flux

    Homework Statement I know that the electric flux through some solid is E\pi\\r^2. E is an outside electric field directed towards the solid. Does that mean that there is a net charge of magnitude \epsilon E\pi\\r^2 inside the solid? My idea is that the net charge is opposite of the entry...
  21. D

    Solve Gauss's Law and Flux: 55.3M Excess Electrons

    [SOLVED] Gauss's Law and Flux ok so i have the biggest question of all i tried solving the following problem: 55.3 million excess electrons are inside a closed surface. What is the net electric flux through the surface? now i tried the following equations: \Phi= E . A = Qin/\epsilon...
  22. B

    Gauss's Law with Dielectric: Deriving and Applying the Most General Form

    My textbook (high school level) derives an instance of Gauss's Law with Dielectric for the case in which the dielectric material fills the gap between a parallel-plate capacitor entirely. So you get surface int (D dot Area-vector) = q, where D = (dielectric constant)(epsilon_0)(Electric...
  23. E

    Is Gauss's Law in Differential Form Dependent on Position?

    Homework Statement Gauss's Law is often given as: \nabla \cdot \vec{E} = \rho/ \epsilon_0 However E is, in general a function of position, so the equation is really \nabla \cdot \vec{E}(\vec{r}) = \rho(\vec{r}) /\epsilon_0 correct? Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution
  24. M

    How Does Gauss's Law Apply to Net Flux in a Cube?

    [SOLVED] Help needed with Gauss's Law and Net Flux A cube of side l-55cm is placed in a uniform field E= 7.30 X10^3 N/C with edges parallel to the field lines. a. what is the net flux through the cube? b. what is the flux through each of its six faces? Face 1 perpendicular to E (field...
  25. M

    Question concerning gauss's law

    Homework Statement Find the Electric Field everywhere in space for an infinitely long slab in the x-y plane with thickness (t) and uniform volume charge density (rho). Find the electric field if the sheet becomes a conductor. The Attempt at a Solution I know the E field above and...
  26. B

    Gauss's Law: Net Charge Enclosed by Surface?

    I've been taught that in gauss's law, the charge that is used must be the net charge enclosed by a closed gaussian surface. If the charge is located on the surface of the gaussian surface (such as a particle charge) can we still use gauss's law? In other words, am I right in interpreting...
  27. J

    What Is the Correct Charge to Use for Calculating Electric Flux in a Torus?

    Homework Statement What is the net electric flux through the the torus if a=-6 nC and b=60 nC ? Homework Equations Electric flux=Qin/E The Attempt at a Solution I solved with Qin being 6*10^-9 C as it is the charge inside and E0=8.85*10^-12. I got 678 for electric flux. But it...
  28. B

    Coulomb's Law vs. Gauss's Law Paradox

    From Coulomb's law, as the distance between a charged particle and another charged particle approaches zero, the electrostatic force between the two particles approaches infinite. However, according to Gauss's Law, we know that for a uniformly charged sphere or spherical shell, the charge...
  29. G

    How Does Gauss's Law Apply to a Sphere with a Spherical Cavity?

    A sphere of radius 2a is made of nonconducting material that has a uniform volume charge density . (Assume that the material does not affect the electric field.) A spherical cavity of radius a is now removed from the sphere, as shown in Figure P19.62. Show that the electric field within the...
  30. R

    Deriving Gauss's Law Without Coulomb's Law

    Hi, can you derive Gauss's Law without using Coulomb's Law? If so, how? Thanks
  31. S

    Solving Gauss's Law Problem: Determine Electric Field on/in Sphere

    Homework Statement Ok so I', having some problems with Gauss's law. I know what it is, but I still can't get the answers right. A metallic sphere of diameter 2*10-2m has been given a charge of 2 nC. State Gauss's law. Use this to determine the electrical field at the surface of the...
  32. T

    Understanding Ampere's Law, Gauss's Law, and the Continuity Equation

    The Ampere's Law is \nabla \times B = \mu J and Gauss's Law is \nabla \cdot E = \frac{1}{\epsilon} \rho Since J is current density, is it right to say that, J = \frac{d}{dt} \rho in general? I am abit confused, since I know that a current four-vector, (\rho , J) is similar to a...
  33. E

    Are Gauss's Law and Coulomb's Law Equivalent?

    Gauss's law may be used to derive Coulomb's law. I've never seen it done the other way around. Is this possible? Because I have not seen it, I infer that these forms are not logically equivalent.
  34. Y

    What is the source of the magnetic field inside the box?

    Question: http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~yeo/phys1.jpg Formula: (Gauss's Law for Magnetism) Line integral of[B dot nhat(perpendicular unit vector) * deltaA] = 0 The Attempt at a Solution So, if there is a bar magnet inside, the side arrows are pointing in the wrong direction, so I ruled...
  35. D

    Gauss's Law and electric field Question

    This question is giving me problems. Consider Gauss's law: (integral) E.dA = qenc/(perm. free space). Which is true? A. If q = 0, then E = 0 everywhere on the surface. If there is no enclosed charge, there is no flux.. so no electric field, correct? B. On the surface, E is everywhere...
  36. R

    How can I correctly solve for dA in Gauss's Law for a sphere?

    Hey, I'm having some trouble solving for the dA portion of Guss's Law for a sphere as the Gaussian surface and a point charge on the inside. According to my book, Integral(1dA) = 4(pi)r^2 So when I try to integrate it myself I get 2(pi^2)r^2 The integral I solve is \int\int r\phi r\theta...
  37. W

    How Does Gauss's Law Affect the Red Dot in This Scenario?

    I had a question regarding how Gauss's law works. I have attached an image that depicts two scenarios. Basically, if you assume the blue lines are a conductor and the green and red dots both contain an equal amount of charge, what is the expected behavior of the red dot? As I understand...
  38. L

    Does a Charge on a Closed Surface Contribute to Electric Flux?

    According to Gauss's Law, the electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed by the surface divided by epsilon_0. This obviously excludes charges outside the surface. But what about *on* the surface? That is, it lies neither inside nor outside. Does this charge count...
  39. L

    Independence of Gauss's law and Ampere's law

    Hi, I'm just learning about Maxwell's equations in high-school and was playing around with them. Supposedly they are 4 independent and self-sufficient equations that when connected with the Lorentz force law will predict classical electrodynamics in its entirety. But then, it appears to me...
  40. L

    Gauss's law in differential forms

    Hi, I'm seeing that many authors like Griffiths and Halliday/Resnick (I've not seen Jackson and Landau/Lif****z) are deriving the differential form of Gauss's law from the integral form (which is easily proven) by using the divergence theorem to convert both sides to volume integrals and then...
  41. J

    How Do Electric Fields Differ Between Aluminum and Glass Plates?

    Homework Statement A very large flat aluminum plate of area A has a total charge Q over its surface. The same charge is placed over the upper surface of a glass plate. Compare the electric fields. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I know how to get the electric field of...
  42. K

    Does Gauss's Law Allow for Non-Enclosed Point Charges on Gaussian Surfaces?

    Consider a gaussian surface of arbitrary size and a point charge located outside of the gaussian surface at an arbitrary distance. Gauss's law states that the flux through the gaussian surface is zero, since there is no charge enclosed by that surface. From this we can deduce that the...
  43. P

    Solving Gauss's Law Problem for Electric Field

    Homework Statement A uniformly charged ball of radius a and a total charge -Q is at the center of a hollow metal shell with inner radius b and outer radius c. The hollow sphere has a net charge +2Q. Find the magnitude of the electric field in the regions: r_1 < a, a < r_2 < b, b < r_3 < c, and...
  44. K

    Gauss's Law Problem: General than Coulomb's Law?

    I read in Corson and Lorrain that Gauss's law is more gneral than Coulomb's law.It can even be applied to moving charges whatever be their velocities/accelerations.Can anyone explain this?
  45. I

    AN implementation of gauss's law

    A long solid nonconducting cylinder or radius R1 is uniformly charged with a charge density (p). It is surrounded by a concentric cylindrical tube or innder radius R2 and outer radius R3, it also has uniform charge density, p. Before I can go on i need to find the electric field as a function of...
  46. K

    Why Don't the Electric Fields Match at the Boundary in Gauss's Law Calculation?

    I am very confused by this tough question. I hope some experts of Gauss's Law can help me out! Any help is greatly appreciated! 1) A long thin straight wire with linear charge ensity lambda runs down the centre of a thin hollow metal cylinder of radius R. The cylinder has a net linear...
  47. R

    Derivation of gauss's law for electrical fields

    This is a very stupid question. extremely stupid. In fact I'm extremely embarassed. I was reading a text on electromagnetism, and it said that since the flux due to a charge does not depend on the radius of the sphere then the formula, q/permitivitty applies to all closed surfaces. This is...
  48. I

    Gauss's Law Charged Hollow Conductor

    if there is not a uniform distribution of charge in the middle how is it possible that there's a uniform field outside. I know why it's true according to gauss's law but it doesn't make sense to me. if there's some positive charge near the interior wall somewhere then there will be an...
  49. I

    Does Gauss's Law Hold for a Charge Inside a Hollow Conductor?

    i don't understand this. if i have a charge inside a hollow conductor of say +Q and a charge of -Q on the conductor it doesn't matter how close the interior charge is to the wall of the conductor ( but not touching ) the field at all points on the surface of the conductor will be zero? doesn't...
  50. I

    Is Gauss's Law Always Intuitive in Electromagnetic Theory?

    Homework Statement The Flux of the E-Field is a vector. It is safer to sit inside a car when lightning strikes than to stand in the open. If the net charge enclosed by a Gaussian Surface is zero, then by Gauss' Law, the E-Field is zero at all points on the surface. The Electric flux through a...
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