Gauss Law and field charge

In summary, the conversation is about proving that the field charge of 2 infinite, oppositely charged plates is 0 using Gauss' law. The person is unsure about how to prove this and mentions the formula for the sum of electric fields and the concept of superimposition of fields. They also mention the definition of Gauss' law and how it relates to calculating the charge on the outside of the plates. The conversation ends with a discussion about a possible approach to solving the problem using symmetry and the formula for Gauss' law.
  • #1
Mango12
49
0
I need to prove that the field charge of 2 infinite, oppositely charged plates is 0 using Gauss' law. I know that the sum of E=4PiK(Sum of q) but I don't know how to prove the charge is 0.
 
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  • #2
Mango12 said:
I need to prove that the field charge of 2 infinite, oppositely charged plates is 0 using Gauss' law. I know that the sum of E=4PiK(Sum of q) but I don't know how to prove the charge is 0.
What is a "field charge?" Generally you only have the total charge being 0 when you have equal and oppositely charged plates, so that will be a given when the problem is posed.

-Dan
 
  • #3
topsquark said:
What is a "field charge?" Generally you only have the total charge being 0 when you have equal and oppositely charged plates, so that will be a given when the problem is posed.

-Dan

Field charge is the total charge. And I need to find the charge on the outside of the plates. I know it would be 0, so maybe I have to set 2 equations equal to each other and show that they cancel to equal 0?
 
  • #4
Mango12 said:
I need to prove that the field charge of 2 infinite, oppositely charged plates is 0 using Gauss' law. I know that the sum of E=4PiK(Sum of q) but I don't know how to prove the charge is 0.

Mango12 said:
Field charge is the total charge. And I need to find the charge on the outside of the plates. I know it would be 0, so maybe I have to set 2 equations equal to each other and show that they cancel to equal 0?
Again, the total charge of the two plates is 0 if and only if they both have the same charge on them. This makes no sense. Can you please post the whole question?

Note: In your first post above you mention the E field due to a distribution of charged particles. When dealing with a parallel plate capacitor you are dealing with a continuous charge distribution so that formula cannot be used.

-Dan
 
  • #5
topsquark said:
Again, the total charge of the two plates is 0 if and only if they both have the same charge on them. This makes no sense. Can you please post the whole question?

Note: In your first post above you mention the E field due to a distribution of charged particles. When dealing with a parallel plate capacitor you are dealing with a continuous charge distribution so that formula cannot be used.

-Dan

"There are 2 infinite plates side by side. One plate has a negative charge and the other has an equal charge, only positive. Using Guass' Law or the superimposition of fields, calculate the charge on the OUTSIDE of the plates"
 
  • #6
Mango12 said:
I need to prove that the field charge of 2 infinite, oppositely charged plates is 0 using Gauss' law. I know that the sum of E=4PiK(Sum of q) but I don't know how to prove the charge is 0.

What do you mean exactly by Gauss's law?

For a point charge $q$, we have $E=\frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r^2}$.
More generally, Gauss's law says that the surface integral of $E$ is equal to the enclosed charge $Q$ divided by $\epsilon_0$:
$$\bigcirc\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\iint E\cdot dS = \iiint \frac\rho{\epsilon_0} dV = \frac Q{\epsilon_0}$$

Mango12 said:
"There are 2 infinite plates side by side. One plate has a negative charge and the other has an equal charge, only positive. Using Guass' Law or the superimposition of fields, calculate the charge on the OUTSIDE of the plates"

I may be going on a rampage, but suppose we look at just one plate with charge $Q$ in a cross section of area $A$.
And suppose we define a cylinder with the plate in the middle, a cross section with area $A$, and a distance $d$ to each end of the cylinder.
Then due to symmetry, we have that the surface integral is $2\cdot E \cdot A$.
Gauss's law says that this is equal to $\frac {Q}{\epsilon_0}$.
So:
$$2EA = \frac {Q}{\epsilon_0} \quad\Rightarrow\quad E = \frac{Q}{2\epsilon_0 A}$$

Are you still with me?
Or am I going on a rampage? (Wondering)
 
  • #7
I like Serena said:
What do you mean exactly by Gauss's law?

For a point charge $q$, we have $E=\frac{q}{4\pi\epsilon_0 r^2}$.
More generally, Gauss's law says that the surface integral of $E$ is equal to the enclosed charge $Q$ divided by $\epsilon_0$:
$$\bigcirc\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\!\iint E\cdot dS = \iiint \frac\rho{\epsilon_0} dV= \frac Q{\epsilon_0}$$
I may be going on a rampage, but suppose we look at just one plate with charge $Q$ in a cross section of area $A$.
And suppose we define a cylinder with the plate in the middle, a cross section with area $A$, and a distance $d$ to each end of the cylinder.
Then due to symmetry, we have that the surface integral is $2\cdot E \cdot A$.
Gauss's law says that this is equal to $\frac {Q}{\epsilon_0}$.
So:
$$2EA = \frac {Q}{\epsilon_0} \quad\Rightarrow\quad E = \frac{Q}{2\epsilon_0 A}$$

Are you still with me?
Or am I going on a rampage? (Wondering)

I kind of get it. I think I figured it out a different way though, because we never use integrals in class so he wouldn't want me to solve it that way outside of class :/
 

1. What is Gauss Law?

Gauss Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the electric field at a point to the amount of electric charge enclosed by a surface surrounding that point.

2. How is Gauss Law used?

Gauss Law is used to calculate the electric field at a point due to a distribution of electric charges. It is also used to determine the total charge enclosed by a surface if the electric field is known.

3. What is a Gaussian surface?

A Gaussian surface is an imaginary surface that is used in Gauss Law calculations. It is a closed surface that encloses a certain amount of charge and is chosen to simplify the calculation of the electric field.

4. How is Gauss Law related to Coulomb's Law?

Gauss Law is a more general form of Coulomb's Law. Coulomb's Law only applies to point charges, while Gauss Law can be used for any distribution of charges. In certain cases, Gauss Law can lead to a simpler and more elegant solution than Coulomb's Law.

5. What is the significance of Gauss Law in physics?

Gauss Law is one of the four Maxwell's equations that form the basis of classical electromagnetism. It is used in many areas of physics, such as optics, electronics, and high energy physics, to understand and predict the behavior of electric fields and charges.

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