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Deriving Coulomb's Law via Gauss's Law

Gauss's theorem relates electric flux through a closed surface to the total charge enclosed, and it is fundamental in electrostatics. The document derives Coulomb's law from Gauss's theorem for a point charge and calculates the electric field due to an infinite non-conducting sheet of charge, concluding that the electric field is uniform and independent of distance from the sheet. The direction of the electric field depends on the sign of the surface charge density.

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427 views2 pages

Deriving Coulomb's Law via Gauss's Law

Gauss's theorem relates electric flux through a closed surface to the total charge enclosed, and it is fundamental in electrostatics. The document derives Coulomb's law from Gauss's theorem for a point charge and calculates the electric field due to an infinite non-conducting sheet of charge, concluding that the electric field is uniform and independent of distance from the sheet. The direction of the electric field depends on the sign of the surface charge density.

Uploaded by

ameenpm318
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Applications of Gauss's Theorem

Gauss’s theorem (also called Gauss’s law) is one of the fundamental laws of electrostatics. It relates the
electric flux through a closed surface to the total charge enclosed within that surface. It is mathematically
stated as:

∮E⃗ ⋅dA⃗ =qenclosedε0∮E⋅dA=ε0qenclosed

Where:

E⃗ E is the electric field vector,

dA⃗ dA is a vector element of area on the closed surface,

qenclosedqenclosed is the total charge inside the surface,

ε0ε0 is the permittivity of free space.

1. Derivation of Coulomb’s Law using Gauss’s Theorem

Objective: To derive the expression for electric field due to a point charge using Gauss’s Law.

Considerations:

A point charge qq is placed at the center of a spherical surface of radius rr.

Due to symmetry, the electric field at every point on the surface is radially outward and has the
same magnitude.

Applying Gauss’s Law:

∮E⃗ ⋅dA⃗ =E∮dA=E(4πr2)∮E⋅dA=E∮dA=E(4πr2)

From Gauss’s law:

E(4πr2)=qε0 E=14πε0⋅qr2E(4πr2)=ε0q E=4πε01⋅r2q

This is the Coulomb's law, which gives the electric field due to a point charge.

Conclusion: Gauss’s law leads to Coulomb’s inverse square law for the electric field.

2. Electric Field due to an Infinite Non-Conducting Sheet of Charge

Objective: To find the electric field produced by an infinite flat sheet of charge with uniform surface
charge density σσ.

Assumptions:

Sheet is infinitely large and thin.


Surface charge density is σσ (charge per unit area).

Use a Gaussian pillbox (a cylinder perpendicular to the sheet) that encloses part of the sheet.

By symmetry:

The electric field is perpendicular to the sheet and has the same magnitude on both sides.

The curved surface of the cylinder does not contribute to the flux (as E⃗ ⊥dA⃗ E⊥dA there).

Only the two flat circular faces of the pillbox contribute.

Flux through the surface:

∮E⃗ ⋅dA⃗ =EAtop+EAbottom=2EA∮E⋅dA=EAtop+EAbottom=2EA

Charge enclosed:

q=σAq=σA

Using Gauss’s Law:

2EA=σAε0 E=σ2ε02EA=ε0σA E=2ε0σ

Conclusion:
The electric field due to an infinite non-conducting sheet of charge is:

E=σ2ε0E=2ε0σ

It is uniform and independent of distance from the sheet.

Direction: Away from the sheet if σ>0σ>0, and toward the sheet if σ<0σ<0.

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