Gauss’s Law Video LabRobin Grathwohl

Gauss’s Law Description

• A law that shows the relationship (quantitatively) between the electric field and the charge in a closed area.

• In simpler terms, it is the electric field multiplied by the area of the surface perpendicular to the field.

• It is how one can find ELECTRIC FLUX

The formula

This shows the Electric Field times the area perpendicular to it, which is one way to find Electric Flux. It should be an integral because you add up all the little charges.

The Formula• The other formula can be derived from the one on

the first page like so:

How it was derived?• First I used the original equation which multiplies

E and A. • Then took the derivative so that using dA is

possible (splits the area into little parts)• Then integrated both sides to find the total flux. • Simplified it down to new equation

Thin Plate

Explanation of thin plate

• In this we used the flux equations and set them equal to one another to find the E field.

• The plate is all positive• The cylinder is just a shape chosen with equal areas on top

bottom and on the plate so that you can find the e field. • You do not have to use a cylinder. It can be any shape with

equal areas on the top bottom and through the plate.

• The E field was found by plugging in both the known info into both the flux equations and setting them equal to one another. Then the areas were cancelled out and the equation was found that gives the E field for the plate.

Thin Rod

Explanation of Thin Rod• A similar attempt was taken with the thin rod. • A cylinder was used around it to back-track

through the electric flux equation to find the electric field.

• Yet again any shape can be used as long as all the areas are equal so that they can be cancelled out.

My understanding of Electric Flux

• The electric flux is the flow of electric field through a certain area. What’s helpful about electric flux is it can be used to find the Electric field by setting both of the flux equations equal to each other for a certain shape on the electric field of interest and then solving for the E field in the equations.

Bibliography:• http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/el

ectric/gaulaw.html• (for the diagrams that were not my notes)