Electric field due to 3 charged sheets.

[HappMatt]

First off i should say that right now I am working with gauss's law.

The problem is finding the electric field between the different layers off 3 charged sheets. The top 2 are positive with 2 different charge densitys and the bottom one has a negative charge desity different from the top 2.

The thing I am haveing trouble with is I am not exactly sure how to calculate the field between plates. I am not sure if i need to add the components from all 3 plates to get the field between the bottom and 2nd to top plate or if i should just use the components of force between the 2 bottom plates and forget about the component from the top plate. I would have though that the top plate would contribute to the field, and looking all through the chapter i can't find a similar cicum stance with 3 plates to help me out. I know i can pick my ouwn gaussian surfaces but it seems like if i did that so it only included the charges from 2 plates it would make my answer wrong since its not taking into effect the other plate so I am not sure what do do and would appreciate some help.

 

[Galileo]

The easy way is to calculate the electric field due to one sheet alone. Then add the other 2 and use superposition.

 

[kyle8921]

I would recommend using Gauss's law to calculate the electric field between the three charged sheets. This law states that the electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the enclosed charge divided by the permittivity of the medium. By choosing appropriate Gaussian surfaces, you can calculate the electric field due to each individual sheet and then add them together to get the total electric field between the sheets. This method takes into account the contributions from all three sheets and will give you the correct answer. Additionally, you can use the principle of superposition to add the individual electric fields together. This involves adding the components of force between the bottom and second-to-top plate and then adding the contribution from the top plate separately. I would recommend trying both methods and comparing the results to ensure accuracy. It is also important to consider the direction of the electric fields and take into account any potential cancellation or reinforcement of the field due to the different charge densities of the sheets. Overall, the key is to carefully choose your Gaussian surfaces and consider the contributions from each sheet to accurately calculate the electric field between the three charged sheets.