Why is the Electric Field Constant Along a Charged Cylinder's Surface?

It is surprising to use a cylinder as a Gaussian surface for deriving the electric field due to a uniform charged thin long rod. It is possible for the surface of the cylinder to have the same field intensity along its entire surface due to its symmetry. Additionally, there is no electric flux along the caps of the Gaussian surface (the cylinder) because there is no net electric charge enclosed by those surfaces. In summary, it is surprising to use a cylinder as a Gaussian surface for deriving the electric field of a uniform charged rod, but it is possible due to the symmetry of the surface. There is also no electric flux along the caps of the Gaussian surface because there is no enclosed net electric charge.
  • #1
Godwin Kessy
91
0
Am really suprised when deriving electric field due to a uniform charged thin long rod! It was suprising to have a cylinder as a gausian surface!

actualy is that posible, that all along the surface of the cylinder has same field intensity and why?

also why are there no electric flux along the caps of the gausian surface "the cylinder"
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Godwin Kessy said:
Am really suprised when deriving electric field due to a uniform charged thin long rod! It was suprising to have a cylinder as a gausian surface!

actualy is that posible, that all along the surface of the cylinder has same field intensity and why?

also why are there no electric flux along the caps of the gausian surface "the cylinder"

Technically, Guass' law only works for an infinitely long rod. If the rod is shorter than infinity, Guass' law is just an approximation. But it makes a pretty good approximation if you are not dealing with anything close to the edge of the rod, and you are much closer to the rod than the rod is long.
 

1. What is Gauss Law and how is it applied in science?

Gauss Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed within the surface. It is often used to calculate the electric field of a charged object, or to determine the charge distribution within a given region.

2. How is Gauss Law derived?

Gauss Law is derived from the more general law of electromagnetism, known as Maxwell's equations. In particular, it can be derived from the divergence theorem, which relates the flux through a closed surface to the divergence of the vector field within the surface.

3. What are some real-world applications of Gauss Law?

Gauss Law has many applications in science and engineering. It is used to design and analyze electrical circuits, to understand the behavior of electromagnetic waves, and to calculate the electric field of charged particles. It is also used in medical imaging techniques such as MRI.

4. Can Gauss Law be applied to systems with non-uniform charge distributions?

Yes, Gauss Law can be applied to systems with non-uniform charge distributions. In these cases, the electric field is broken into small elements and the law is applied to each element, taking into account the direction and magnitude of the electric field at each point.

5. Are there any limitations to the application of Gauss Law?

While Gauss Law is a powerful tool in electromagnetism, it has some limitations. It can only be applied to systems with static charges, and is not applicable to systems with changing magnetic fields. Additionally, it assumes that the electric field is continuous and differentiable, which may not always be the case in real-world scenarios.

Similar threads

I How Gauss’ Law is applied to cylinders
    • Classical Physics
Replies
20
Views
1K
B Determining whether the non-integral form of Gauss' law applies
    • Classical Physics
Replies
1
Views
680
I Why Do We Consider External Electric Fields in Gauss' Law Calculations?
    • Classical Physics
Replies
5
Views
2K
No Electric Charges if No Electric Field in Region
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
12
Views
1K
I Gauss' theorem and inverse square law
    • Classical Physics
Replies
2
Views
4K
Electric field is constant around charged infinite plane. Why?
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
3K
I Electric field of uniformly polarized cylinder
    • Electromagnetism
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Proving Gauss' Law using a Cubical Surface
    • Classical Physics
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Gauss' Law applicability on any closed surface
    • Classical Physics
Replies
5
Views
1K
I Thought I Understood Gauss' Law (Sheets)
    • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
26
Views
577

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top