Gauss's Law and Gravitation

tatiana_eggs

1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data

Calculate the gravitational potential due to a thin rod of length l and mass M at a distance R from the center of the rod and in a direction perp. to the rod.

2. Relevant equations

integral form of Gauss's law wrt gravitation

3. The attempt at a solution

Can I use Gauss's law here i.e. solve for the gravitational field vector and integrate it to get gravitational potential? If not, why?

I tried but I don't get the same answer as with direct integration.

fzero

Yes, it should be possible to solve that way. You might want to try to show your work in case someone here can spot a mistake.