Gauss Law general physics 2 question

Thread starter DavidGarcia
Start date Mar 18, 2021
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Gauss Gauss law General General physics Law Physics Physics 2

In summary, Gauss Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the electric charge enclosed within that surface. The formula for Gauss Law is ΦE = q/ε0, where ΦE is the electric flux, q is the enclosed charge, and ε0 is the permittivity of free space. It is applied in physics to calculate the electric field and electric potential in situations with high symmetry, such as spherical or cylindrical charge distributions. There is a difference between Gauss Law and Coulomb's Law in that Coulomb's Law is used to calculate the electric force between two point

Mar 18, 2021

DavidGarcia

Homework Statement: A very long aluminum wire has a radius of 1 cm and an uniform charge density of 6 x 10^-5 C/m^2 over its area. 1.) what is the charge on 1 m of this wire? 2.) What is the linear charge density of the wire? 3.) What is the electric field at a point 7.8 cm away from the surface of the wire?

Relevant Equations: E (electric field of sheet of charge) = uniform charge density / 2 (8.85 x 10^-12 C^2 / N*m^2 )
Electric flux = E(electric field) * A(area)
Q(Charge inside) = charge density * A(area)
E (electric field of a cylinder) = Charge per unit of length / (2*pi*r*(8.85 x 10^-12 C^2 / N*m^2))

(Please include formulas you used)

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Mar 18, 2021

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FAQ: Gauss Law general physics 2 question

What is Gauss Law?

Gauss Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed by that surface. It is used to calculate the electric field in situations with high symmetry, such as spherical or cylindrical symmetry.

How is Gauss Law applied?

Gauss Law is applied by drawing a closed surface around a charge or a distribution of charges and calculating the electric flux through that surface. The electric flux is then related to the enclosed charge by the equation Q = ε₀Φ_E, where Q is the enclosed charge, ε₀ is the permittivity of free space, and Φ_E is the electric flux.

What are the assumptions of Gauss Law?

The main assumptions of Gauss Law are that the electric field is constant on the surface, the surface is closed, and the electric field is perpendicular to the surface at every point. These assumptions are only valid in situations with high symmetry, as mentioned earlier.

What is the difference between Gauss Law and Coulomb's Law?

Gauss Law and Coulomb's Law are both laws that relate to electric fields and charges. However, Coulomb's Law applies to point charges while Gauss Law can be applied to any charge distribution. Additionally, Gauss Law is a more general and powerful law that can be used to calculate the electric field in situations with high symmetry, while Coulomb's Law is limited to point charges.

Can Gauss Law be applied to magnetic fields?

No, Gauss Law only applies to electric fields. However, there is a similar law for magnetic fields called Gauss's Law for Magnetism, which relates the magnetic flux through a closed surface to the magnetic charge enclosed by that surface. This law is not commonly used, as magnetic monopoles (magnetic charges) have not been observed in nature.