Calculating Electric Fields Using Gauss' Law and Symmetry

[purplex76]

A diagram shows an infinite sheet of charge, uniform charge density = 6.0 x 10^-5 C/m^2 lying on the y-z plane. The sheet is of zero thickness. Q is a point charge of 3.4 x 10^-7 fixed at the point x(Q)= .03m, y(Q)=z(Q)=0.

calculate the the electric fields at the four locations...

(0.001m,0,0)
(-0.001m,0,0)
(0.001m, 0.03m,0)
(-0.001m, 0.03m, 0)
These electric fields must be given in terms of i, j and k hat

 

[Tide]

You can separately calculate the electric field produced by the sheet charge and the point charge. Just add the results.

 

[purplex76]

how do you calculate the electric field produced by the sheet of charge? Is that coulombs law? please, i need more help with this question.

 

[Tide]

To calculate the electric field due to the sheet charge use Gauss' Law and exploit the symmetry of the problems. Clearly, the electric field will be symmetric about the plane (the field will be normal to the surface) so construct a gaussian surface say in the form of a cylinder whose axis is normal to the plane with the ends equidistant from the plane.