The discussion centers on the distance independence of electric field strength from insulating surface charges, specifically sheets and shells, as described by Gauss's Law. It is established that the electric field remains constant regardless of distance from the charge, which is crucial for understanding electric forces on charges like protons near charged plates. The user seeks clarification on calculating electric potential near a spherical shell of charge, indicating a need for proper application of line integrals in relation to the electric field equation derived from Gauss's Law.
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But Gauss's Law does give the equation for the electric field right? I'm trying to find the electric potential near a spherical shell of charge but in order to find that I need to be able to take the line integral with respect to r (the distance), but that would give me (q/epsilon naught)r. And that doesn't seem right.jtbell said:Maybe the diagram and discussion following this post (particularly post #12) will help:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/electron-between-parallel-plates.820676/#post-5151253
It's written in terms of the electric force on a charge (a proton) near the plate, not the electric field, but the basic idea is the same.