Gauss's law of sphere using integral

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the application of Gauss's law to a sphere using integral calculus. Participants explore the setup of the surface integral for calculating the electric field outside a charged sphere, addressing issues related to the bounds of integration in spherical coordinates.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Homework-related

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents an initial setup for the integral but encounters confusion regarding the integration bounds and the surface differential.
  • Another participant clarifies that the surface differential should be expressed in terms of polar coordinates, specifically noting that the correct form is dA = r^2 sin(θ) dθ dφ.
  • It is mentioned that the electric field E is assumed to be constant over the surface, which simplifies the integration process.
  • Participants discuss the correct interpretation of the angles θ and φ, with one participant questioning the bounds and their significance in covering the entire sphere.
  • Further clarification is provided regarding the definitions of the azimuthal angle φ and the polar angle θ, including their respective ranges and meanings in spherical coordinates.
  • One participant acknowledges confusion stemming from differing conventions in mathematical contexts regarding the angles.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the correct form of the surface integral and the definitions of the angles in spherical coordinates, but there is some uncertainty regarding the interpretation of the bounds and their implications.

Contextual Notes

There is a noted confusion about the integration bounds for θ and φ, which may depend on the specific conventions used in different contexts. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the coordinate system being applied.

pinkfishegg
Messages
57
Reaction score
3
Hey I was just practicing Gauss's law outside a sphere of radius R with total charge q enclosed. So I know they easiest way to do this is:

∫E⋅da=Q/ε
E*4π*r^2=q/ε
E=q/(4*πε) in the r-hat direction

But I am confusing about setting up the integral to get the same result

I tried
∫ 0 to pi ∫0 to 2pi E*r^2sin(Φ) dΦdΘ for the LHS

i got this from the front of Griffiths where it says:
dl=dr(r-hat)+sdφ d(θ-hat)+rsin(θ)dφ (φ-hat)

But i keep getting 0 when i take this integral sin i get -cos(2π)-cos(0)= -1-(-1)=0

So there's obviously something wrong with my setup. I need to integrate over θ and φ because they are on the surface but I'm not sure about the terms in front. Aren't they supposed to be they ones in front from the dl term?..

Trying to practice this to be able to answer harder questions :P
 
Physics news on Phys.org
The surface integral is not a ## d \vec{l} ## type integration. The surface differential is ## dA=r^2 sin(\theta) \, \, d \theta \, d \phi ## in polar coordinates. ## \theta ## gets integrated from ## 0 ## to ## \pi ##, and ## \phi ## from ## 0 ## to ## 2 \pi ##. The integrals are separable, and there is complete symmetry as ## E ## is assumed to be a constant, (depending only on ## r ##), independent of ## \theta ## and ## \phi ##. The result of these two integrals is ## 4 \pi ##.
 
ohhh so i got the bounds for φ and θ mixed up..
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Charles Link
pinkfishegg said:
ohhh so i got the bounds for φ and θ mixed up..

So Φ is from top to bottom and θ from left to right correct? why are those the bounds. It seems like it could go either way and you'd still get the entire sphere.
 
pinkfishegg said:
So Φ is from top to bottom and θ from left to right correct? why are those the bounds. It seems like it could go either way and you'd still get the entire sphere.
## \phi ## is the azimuthal angle, basically counterclockwise, and goes all the way around (360 degrees). ## \theta ## is the polar angle, and when it points all the way downward the angle is 180 degrees. When the point lies in the x-y plane, the polar angle is 90 degrees. ## \\ ## Additional item, is that spherical coordinates is not a system that you can draw about some origin, (at radius ## r ## away from some other origin), where for small angles ## \phi ## is left and right (x-direction), and ## \theta ## is the elevation angle (y-direction) . This type of coordinate system is also used at times for sources that have a narrow beam spread, but it is not spherical coordinates.
 
Last edited:
Charles Link said:
## \phi ## is the azimuthal angle, basically counterclockwise, and goes all the way around (360 degrees). ## \theta ## is the polar angle, and when it points all the way downward the angle is 180 degrees. When the point lies in the x-y plane, the polar angle is 90 degrees.
ok i just looked at this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spherical_coordinate_system. sometimes its opposite in math so that's why i mixed it up.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Charles Link
Please see also my edited comment (Additional item) in my previous post.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 29 ·
Replies
29
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 20 ·
Replies
20
Views
2K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K