Solv Gauss's Law Questions | Zack's Search

In summary, Zack was looking for help understanding Gauss's law and how it is used to find electric fields. He was not able to understand it and would greatly appreciate someone breaking it down for him.
  • #1
imzack
2
0
I was searching the forums and I found someone asking the same question a while back, but i am totally confused, I thought I was understanding this stuff up to this point.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100928212107AAwXTlT&r=w

I posted and wrote up the whole problem on yahoo answers.

If someone could break down this problem and make it easier for a very slow person to understand it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks
Zack
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Hi imzack and welcome to PF. It would be easier if you posted the problem here. Anyway, for part (a): Can you use Gauss's Law to find the electric field at a point inside the sphere?
 
  • #3
yea, and just got the answers, but i didnt know and didnt understand how they got to them, is someone could break it down it would be most appreciated!

question-
An early (incorrect) model of the hydrogen atom, suggested by J.J. Thomson, proposed that a positive cloud of charge +e was uniformly distributed throughout the volume of a sphere of radius R, with the electron (an equal magnitude negatively charged particle -e) at the center.
A) using Gauss's law, show that the electron would be in equilibrium at the center and, if displaced from the center a distance r<R, would experience a restoring force of the form F=-Kr, where K is a constant.
B) Show that K=(ke)(E^2)/R^3
C)Find an expression for the frequency f of simple harmonic oscillations that an electron of mass me would undergo if displaced a small distance (<R) from the center and released.
D) Calculated a numerical value for R that would result in a frequency of 2.47*10^15 Hz, the frequency of the light radiated in the most intense in the hydrogen spectrum.


answer is

http://tinypic.com/r/14ma06o/7

14ma06o.jpg


<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=14ma06o" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/14ma06o.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>




and thank you for your welcome!
 

FAQ: Solv Gauss's Law Questions | Zack's Search

1. What is Gauss's Law?

Gauss's Law is a fundamental law in electromagnetism that relates the distribution of electric charges to the resulting electric field. It states that the electric flux through a closed surface is equal to the total charge enclosed by that surface divided by the permittivity of free space.

2. How do you apply Gauss's Law to solve problems?

To apply Gauss's Law, you first need to identify a closed surface that encloses the charge distribution you are interested in. Then, you calculate the electric flux through that surface, taking into account its orientation and any symmetry present. Finally, you equate the electric flux to the total charge enclosed divided by the permittivity of free space to solve for the electric field.

3. What is the significance of Gauss's Law?

Gauss's Law is significant because it allows us to mathematically relate the distribution of electric charges to the resulting electric field. This allows us to understand and predict the behavior of electric fields in various situations, and it is a crucial tool in solving many practical problems in electromagnetism.

4. Can Gauss's Law be used for any charge distribution?

Yes, Gauss's Law is a general law that can be applied to any charge distribution, as long as the surface chosen for the calculation encloses the entire charge distribution. However, it is most useful for situations with high symmetry, as it simplifies the calculation of the electric flux.

5. Are there any limitations to Gauss's Law?

Gauss's Law is a powerful tool, but it does have some limitations. It only applies to static electric fields and cannot be used for time-varying fields. Additionally, it assumes that the permittivity of the medium is constant, which may not always be the case in practical situations. Lastly, it cannot be used to determine the electric field inside a conductor, as the charges inside a conductor rearrange themselves to create a uniform electric field.

Similar threads

Back
Top