Chapter 3

Electric Flux Density, Gausss Law,

and Divergence
 3.1 Electric Flux Density
Faradays Experiment
 Electric Flux Density, D
Units: C/m2
Magnitude: Number of flux lines (coulombs)
crossing a surface normal to the lines divided by
the surface area.
Direction: Direction of flux lines (same direction
as E).
For a point charge:
For a general charge distribution,
D3.1
Given a 60-uC point charge located at the origin, find the
total electric flux passing through:

(a) That portion of the sphere r = 26 cm bounded by

0 < theta < Pi/2 and 0 < phi < Pi/2
D3.2
Calculate D in rectangular coordinates at point P(2,-3,6)
produced by : (a) a point charge QA = 55mC at Q(-2,3,-6)

2
2
P 3
3
Q 3
QA 55 10

6
6
12 PQ
0 8.854 10 R P Q r
PQ

6.38 10 6

D 9.57 10 6
QA
D r

4 R 2 1.914 10 5

(b) a uniform line charge pLB = 20 mC/m on the x axis
(c) a uniform surface charge density pSC = 120 uC/m2 on
the plane z = -5 m.
 Gausss Law

The electric flux passing through any

closed surface is equal to the total charge
enclosed by that surface.
 The integration is performed over a closed
surface, i.e. gaussian surface.
 We can check Gausss law with a point
charge example.
 Symmetrical Charge Distributions

Gausss law is useful under two

conditions.
1. DS is everywhere either normal or
tangential to the closed surface, so that
DS.dS becomes either DS dS or zero,
respectively.
2. On that portion of the closed surface for
which DS.dS is not zero, DS = constant.
Gausss law simplifies the task of finding D near an
infinite line charge.
Infinite coaxial cable:
 Differential Volume Element

If we take a small enough closed surface,

then D is almost constant over the surface.
D3.6a

8 x y z4

D( x y z) 4 x2 z4

2 3
16 x y z
3 2

D( x y 2) 10 12 d x d y 1.365 10 9
2

1 0
D3.6b

8 x y z4

D( x y z) 4 x2 z4 10
12

2 3
16 x y z

12
0 8.854 10

2 D( 2 1 3) 146.375
P 1 E 146.375
E
0
3 195.166
 Divergence
Divergence is the outflow of flux from a small
closed surface area (per unit volume) as
volume shrinks to zero.
-Water leaving a bathtub
-Closed surface (water itself) is essentially incompressible
-Net outflow is zero

-Air leaving a punctured tire

-Divergence is positive, as closed surface (tire) exhibits net
outflow
Mathematical definition of divergence

div D
D
lim dS
v 0 v

Surface integral as the volume element (v) approaches zero

D is the vector flux density

D x D y D z
div D
x y z

- Cartesian
Divergence in Other Coordinate Systems

Cylindrical
D Dz
div D D
1 1

z

Spherical

div D
1 r

D r 2
1


D sin 1

D
2 r r sin r sin
r
Divergence at origin for given vector flux density A

e x sin ( y )

A e x cos ( y )

2 z

div A
e x sin( y)
e cos ( y )
x
( 2 z)
x y z

div A
x x
e sin ( y ) e sin ( y ) 2
3-6: Maxwells First Equation

.

A dS Q Gauss Law

S

.

A dS
per unit volume
S Q
v v
.

A dS

S Q
lim lim
Volume shrinks to zero v 0 v v 0 v

Electric flux per unit volume is equal to the volume charge density
Maxwells First Equation
.

A dS

S Q
lim lim
v 0 v v 0 v

div D v

Sometimes called the point form of Gauss Law

Enclosed surface is reduced to a single point

3-7: and the Divergence Theorem
del operator

What is del?

ay az
ax
x y z
s Relationship to Divergence

div D D
V
True for all coordinate systems
Other Relationships
Gradient results from operating on a function

Represents direction of greatest change

Curl cross product of and

Relates to work in a field

If curl is zero, so is work

Examination of and flux
Cube defined by 1 < x,y,z < 1.2
2 2 2
D 2 x y a x 3 x y a y

Calculation of total flux

. . x1 1 x2 1.2

Q D dS v dv y 1 1 y 2 1.2
S vol
z1 1 z2 1.2
total left right front back

z y z x
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
x1 2 x1 y d y d z y1 3 x y 1 d x d z
z y z x
1 1 1 1

z y z x
2 2 2 2 2 2 2
x2 2 x2 y d y d z y2 3 x y 2 d x d z
z y z x
1 1 1 1
 total x1 x2 y1 y2

total 0.103

Dat center of cube

Evaluation ofV

div D
d 2
2 x y
d 2
3 x y
2
dx dy

div D
2
4 x y 6 x y
2
divD 4 ( 1.1) ( 1.1) 6 ( 1.1) ( 1.1)

divD 12.826
Non-Cartesian Example
Equipotential Surfaces Free Software
Semiconductor Application - Device Charge Field Potential
Vector Fields
Potential Field
Applications of Gausss Law