What is the effect of the dielectric material on Gauss' law?

In summary: So the extra charge on the capacitor is just the total charge on the capacitor divided by the permittivity of the dielectric.
  • #1
Hawkingo
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so in the 2nd page,when the dielectric material is introduced the gauss's law becomes $$\oint _ { S } \vec { E } \cdot \vec { d S } = \frac { ( q - q _ { i } ) } { \epsilon _ { 0 } }$$.But my question is why the ##{ \epsilon _ { 0 } }## is in the equation.Shouldn't it be ##{ \epsilon }(\varepsilon = k \varepsilon _ { 0 })## ?And the formula becomes
$$\oint _ { S } \vec { E } \cdot \vec { d S } = \frac { ( q - q _ { i } ) } { k \varepsilon _ { 0 } }$$
Because
##{ \epsilon _ { 0 } }## is used when the medium is air or vacuum ,but here the medium is dielectric near the gaussian surface,so ##{ \epsilon }## should be used instead of ##{ \epsilon _ { 0 } }## in the gauss's law here.
 
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  • #2
The book is correct, and also the explanation is correct.

If you have the capacitor, filled with a dielectric, the total electric field inside the capacitor is a superposition of the field you'd have without the dielectric and the electric field building up through the induced polarization of the material. For not too large fields we can assume that the polarization of the matter is proportional to the electric field.

Now you introduce an auxilliary field ##\vec{D}## which is (by convention up to a factor ##\epsilon_0##) the electric field due to the charges brought externally to the system, which in your case is the charge on the capacitor plates. This field fulfills the corresponding Gauss's Law (up to the conventional factor ##\epsilon_0##),
$$\int_S \mathrm{d}^2 \vec{S} \cdot \vec{D}=Q,$$
where ##Q## is the said "extra charges".

The electric field inside the medium is then due to the above assumption
$$\vec{E}=\frac{\vec{D}}{\epsilon_0 K}.$$
Where, we've introduced the factor ##\epsilon_0## again, so that ##K## (usually called ##\epsilon_{\text{rel}}##).

Thus you get
$$\int_S \mathrm{d}^2 \vec{S} \cdot \vec{E}=\frac{Q}{\epsilon_0 K}.$$
The induced charge distribution on the surface of the dielectric (the interior is still uncharged since you have just a little shift of the negatively charged electrons against their equilibrium position relative to the positively charged atomic nuclei making up the matter, i.e., on macroscopic scales the charge distribution inside the dielectric is still 0)
$$\frac{Q}{\epsilon_0 K}=\frac{Q-Q_i}{\epsilon_0} \; \Rightarrow \; Q_i=Q \left (1-\frac{1}{K} \right)=Q \frac{K-1}{K}.$$
 
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1. What is Gauss' law in Dielectrics?

Gauss' law in Dielectrics is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the electric flux through a closed surface to the charge enclosed within that surface. It takes into account the presence of dielectric materials, which are insulators that can become polarized in the presence of an electric field.

2. How is Gauss' law in Dielectrics different from Gauss' law in free space?

Gauss' law in free space states that the electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the charge enclosed divided by the permittivity of free space. In contrast, Gauss' law in Dielectrics takes into account the polarization of dielectric materials, which can alter the electric field and affect the electric flux through a closed surface.

3. What is the significance of Gauss' law in Dielectrics?

Gauss' law in Dielectrics is important because it allows us to calculate the electric field inside a dielectric material, which is necessary for understanding the behavior of electrical circuits and devices. It also helps us understand the effects of polarization on the overall electric field in a given system.

4. How does Gauss' law in Dielectrics relate to capacitance?

Gauss' law in Dielectrics is closely related to capacitance, which is a measure of a material's ability to store electric charge. The capacitance of a dielectric material is affected by its polarization, which is described by Gauss' law in Dielectrics. This relationship is important in the design and analysis of capacitors and other electrical components.

5. Can Gauss' law in Dielectrics be applied to all dielectric materials?

Gauss' law in Dielectrics can be applied to most dielectric materials, as long as they are linear and isotropic. This means that the polarization of the material is directly proportional to the applied electric field, and is the same in all directions. Non-linear and anisotropic materials may require more complex equations to describe their behavior under an electric field.

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