Gauss' Law
Gauss' Law (a FUNDAMENTAL Law):
The net electric flux through any closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed by that surface.
- How to Apply??
- Useful in finding E when the physical situation has SYMMETRY
- CHOOSE a closed surface such that the integral is TRIVIAL
- Direction: surface must be chosen such that E is known to be either parallel or perpendicular to each piece of the surface
- Magnitude: surface must be chosen such that E has the same value at all points on the surface when E is perpendicular to the surface.
- Therefore: bring E outside of the integral
- Most of our results for E fields around points, lines, planes were obtained this way.