Where does the epsilon in Gauss's law come from

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the derivation of Gauss's law, specifically focusing on the differential form and the significance of the epsilon term within the context of electromagnetic theory.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the origins of the epsilon term in Gauss's law, questioning its relationship to the displacement field and Coulomb's law. There is uncertainty about the appropriate starting points for deriving Gauss's law.

Discussion Status

The conversation is ongoing, with participants offering various perspectives on the derivation of Gauss's law and the role of experimental evidence in electromagnetic theory. Some guidance has been provided regarding potential starting points for derivation.

Contextual Notes

Participants express confusion about the foundational laws leading to Gauss's law and the implications of epsilon in different contexts. There is a mention of the need for experimental data to support theoretical concepts.

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Hi, I have been trying to find out the derivation of Gauss's law but can't seem to find any derivations. May I know how the differential form of Gauss's law is derived and where does the epsilon come from? Does it have to do with the displacement field definition?
 
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What would you like to derive it from? Which laws are your starting point?

The epsilon in Gauss's law is related to the strength of electromagnetic interactions, and basically it tells you how easy it is for the electric field to penetrate the medium.
 
I have no idea the starting point. From the differential form of Gauss's law you get the epsilon but what's the law before that? Does the epsilon come from experimental data in Coulomb's law?
 
All electromagnetic theory is based on experimental evidence.

This is probably not the place for me to enumerate the 9 experiments that form the basis of e-m theory.
 
You can try proving Gauss's law from Coulomb's law, if you like. They are not logically equivalent, but Gauss holds whenever Coulomb holds.
 

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