1

Flux of a Vector Field

Flux of the Electric Field

Gauss Law

A Charged isolated conductor

Applications of Gauss law
Gauss Law
2
Flux
The word flux comes from the latin
word meaning to flow

For a vector field flux is the number of
lines passing through a surface
3
Flux of a vector field
Vector field
Velocity field of a flowing fluid
The velocity field is a representation of a fluid flow
Field itself is not flowing but is a fixed representation of the
flow
Water flow
P
In the velocity field of a water flow point p represents the
flow of water (fluid)
Velocity field
4
Electric flux
Given a charge distribution we can determine an electric
field at a point using coulomb s law
P
E
E
F
=
q
Where the total field E is the vector
sum of all the fields due to all the point
charges at point P
Alternatively if an electric field E is given we can determine
the charge distribution
To find out the charge distribution we need to know the
electric flux and Gausss law
5
Electric flux
Number of electric lines of force passing through a surface
of area A perpendicular to the electric field E
A
E
Mathematically it is the product of the surface area A and
the component of the electric field E perpendicular to the
surface

E
= EA Nm
2
/C
6
Electric flux
Empty enclosed surface no electric field
+q
E
Electric field
directed outward
Electric field
directed inward
Positive charge
enclosed
Negative charge
enclosed
-q
E
Outward flux
No flux
Inward flux
7
+
E
In this case the box is placed inside an electric field of
some out side charge distribution
Again here the net flux is zero, because the number of lines
entering the box is exactly the same as leaving the box
Electric flux
8
+q
E
+2q
E
Electric flux
Electric flux through a surface is directly proportional to the
magnitude of charges enclosed by that surface
9
The electric flux increases:
with A
with E
A
E
E
= EA
Electric flux
10
If area A is not exactly perpendicular
to the electric field E

E
= EAcos|
A E
E
- = u
Or
Electric flux
Flux will be maximum when surface
area is perpendicular to the electric
field

E
= EA
11
Flux through an Arbitrary Shape
E is not uniform
Divide the arbitrary shape
into small squares of area A
The direction of A is
drawn outward
Calculate the electric flux at
each square and sum all these
This is a surface integral, i.e. an integral
over a closed surface, enclosing a
volume
A d E
- = u
}
A E
A - = u

12
Sample problem 2: Find the electric flux through a cylindrical surface in a
uniform electric field E
a.
b.
c.
Net Flux a + b + c = 0
2
180 cos R E EdA dA E t = = = u
} }
dA Ecos
}
=
0 90 cos = =
}
dA E
2
) 0 cos( R E EdA dA E t = = = u
} }
A d E
- =
}
13
Gausss law
Simplify electric field calculation
Gives an in site about the electric charge distribution over
the conducting body
Gives a relation between the electric filed at all the points
on the surface and the charge enclosed within the surface
Gausss law is used to analyze experiments that test the
validity of Coulombs law
It is an alternative to Coulombs law for expressing the
relationship between electric charge and electric field
14
The total electric flux through any closed
surface is proportional to the total electric
charge inside the surface
Gausss law
encl
E
q
u
encl
q
A d E
}
= -
0
c
encl
E
q
= u
0
c
A E
E
- = u
where
Relates net electric flux
to the net enclosed
electric charge
}
= -
0
c
encl
q
A d E
15
Gauss Law & Coulombs Law
Let us consider a
positive point charge q

Surround the charge with
an imaginary surface
the Gaussian Surface

+
dA
E
The angel between vector area and
E field is zero everywhere
}
= -
q A d E
0
c
}
=
q A Ed
0
c
16
+
dA
E
The E field is uniform and
thus constant everywhere
Where 4r
2
is the area of
circular surface
}
=
q A Ed
0
c
2 2
0
2
0
0
4
) 4 (
r
kq
r
q
E
q r E
q A d E
= =
=
=
}
t c
t c
c
17
Infinite Line of Charges
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

Let us consider an infinite line of positive
charge with a linear charge density = q/h
We wish to find the E field at a distance r
from the line
Applications of Gauss Law
E
dA
h
Let us now enclose this line with a
cylindrical Gaussian surface
The symmetry indicates that E field will
have only the radial components and there is
no flux at the ends
18
Infinite Line of Charges
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

E
dA
h
Now according the Gauss law
Gausss law for electric field determination
due to a charge distribution is the simplest of
all
r
E
h rh E
q A d E
0
0
0
2
) 2 (
tc

t c
c
=
=
=
}
19
Infinite Sheet of Charge
Let us now consider portion
of nonconducting (Insulator)
sheet of charge having a
charge density o (charge per
unit area)
Consider an imaginary
cylindrical Gaussian surface
inserted into sheet
The charge enclosed by the
surface is q = o A
20
Due to symmetry we can conclude that E field is right
angles to the end caps
There is no flux from the curved surface of the cylindrical
There is equal flux out of both caps
Infinite Sheet of Charge
A very useful result that can be directly applied
on similar applications of Gauss Law
0
0
0
0
2
2
) (
c
o
o c
o c
c
=
=
= +
=
}
E
A EA
A EA EA
q A d E
21
Gauss Law & Conductors
Conductors are materials that are electrically neutral
There is no net charge inside an isolated metal ball
And therefore the E field inside an isolated conductor is
zero
Suppose we are able to inject some charge into the
center of the metal ball
What would then happen?
+
22
Gauss Law & Conductors
Initially there would be an E field that would cause all
the charges to redistribute
Within nanoseconds the charges would settle and stop
moving, which is called an electrostatic equilibrium
And there would then be no net charges inside conductor
If there were anywe would see current insidewhich
is never observed
The excess charges do not disappear from the scene
These excess charges appear as electrostatic charges at
the surface
+
+
+
+
+
+
23
Property of Conductors
An excess charge placed on or inside an
isolated conductor moves entirely to the
outer surface of the conductor. None of
the excess charge is found within the
body of the conductor
24
A Thin Conducting Plate
Suppose we take a thin conducting plate
This plate has definitely two surfaces
And spray a charge q on any surface
This charge q will move and will spread
over both the surfaces
Each surface will have a charge equal to
q/2
And now we try to apply Gauss Law
Applications of Gauss Law
E
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

E
E E
25
A Thin Conducting Plate
0
2c
o
= E
E=0
We can think of the situation
as two noncouducting charged
sheets connected back-to-back
each resulting in
0
c
o
= E
The total E field of a thin
conducting plate would then be
E
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

+
+
+
+
+

E
E E
26
Two Thin Conducting Plates with Opposite
Charge
E = 0
E
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
E = 0
Let we bring closer
two thin conducting
sheets each with an
equal and opposite
charge of magnitude of
q
Both conductors now cannot be considered
as isolated conductors
27
E = 0
E
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
E = 0
The charges on both plates will
move towards the inner
surfaces due to force of
attraction
0
2c
o
= E
Each surface will set
up an E field
The net E field can
thus be given as
0
c
o
= E
28
0
c
o
= E
E = 0
E
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
E = 0
Putting o =q/A
0
c A
q
E =
This is the electrical field of a parallel plate capacitor