QA

Can You Draw A Gaussian Surface On A Finite Wire

It is easy to apply Gauss’ Law to a finite wire. Because the flux of a finite wire is undefined. Because we do not know the charge density of a finite wire. Because the symmetry argument does not hold.

Why Gauss is not applicable for finite wire?

You cannot (effectively) because a finite length line of charge does not have the symmetry required in order to use it effectively.

Is Gauss law applicable for finite Rod?

Gauss’ law is applicable for a finite wire. But, it’s useless in this case. It’s pretty obvious why these things can be assumed–moving up and down the wire should not change →E, so we take it constant. Also, there should be no direction bias, so →E has no component along the wire.

Can Gaussian surfaces be infinite?

They do not fully enclose a 3D volume, and have boundaries (red). Note that infinite planes can approximate Gaussian surfaces.

What are the conditions for Gaussian surface?

A gaussian surface must exist where the electric field is either parallel or perpendicular to the surface vector. This makes the cosines in all the dot products equal to simply zero or one. The electric field that passes through the parts of the gaussian surface where the flux is non-zero has a constant magnitude.

How do you draw a Gaussian surface?

Here are the steps to determine a Gaussian surface: Step 1: Select the surface from a body or object. Step 2: Check direction of electric field (E) Step 3: Check the area vector (A) Step 4: Check the angle between area vector (A) and electric field (E).

Why do we consider Gaussian surface?

Gaussian surface is an enclosed surface in a three dimensional space through which the flux of a vector field is calculated (gravitational field, the electric field, or magnetic field.) Gaussian surface helps evaluate the electric field intensity due to symmetric charge distribution.

Is Gauss law applicable to all surfaces?

Gauss’s Law is valid for any closed surface (a Gaussian surface) and any distribution of charges. If the electric field is known at every point on the surface S the integral can in principle be evaluated and will be seen to be equal to the sum of the enclosed charges divided by ε0.

What is Gaussian pillbox?

The Gaussian pillbox is the surface with an infinite charge of uniform charge density is used to determine the electric field. The pillbox is of a cylindrical shape consisting of three components; the disk at one end with area ????r4, the disk at the other end with the equal area and the side of the cylinder.

Why Gaussian surface should not pass through any discrete charge?

The Gaussian surface doesn’t pass through any discrete charge. This is because electric field due to a system of discrete charges is not well defined at the location of any charge. However, the Gaussian surface can pass through a continuous charge distribution.

What is the best choice for the shape of a Gaussian surface?

A better choice for a gaussian surface in this case would be a sphere, which exploits the symmetry of the charge distribution and provides results in a →E of constant magnitude everywhere along the surface.

Is Gaussian surface real or imaginary?

Gaussian surface is a real or an imaginary surface such that the electric field intensity has a single fixed value at every point on the surface.

Can you use Gauss law on a cube?

Numerical Calculation of Flux. I always tell my students that Gauss’s Law works for all shapes. It doesn’t have to be a sphere, you could put a charge inside a cube and calculate the flux. As long as it’s the same charge inside, it will be the same total flux.

Why is square not a Gaussian surface?

The two circles on either end cannot be part of a gaussian surface because they do not have a constant electric field, and the electric field is not perpendicular to the circles. The square has a side length of L, a width of d, and a charge Q.

What is Gaussian surface and its properties?

Answer: The Gaussian surface is an arbitrary closed surface in three-dimensional space through which flux of vector field ( the gravitational field or magnetic field) is calculated. The examples of some valid Gaussian surfaces include the surface of sphere, cylinder, cube etc.

When can I use Gauss’s law?

Gauss’s law is usually used in cases of symmetry (spherical/cylindrical/planar) where we could determine that the electric field on a closed loop is constant on every point of it (dependent only on r) and fom there we could get it out of the integral.

What is the nature of Gaussian surface in electrostatics?

Explanation: The Gauss’s law in electrostatics gives a relation between electric flux through any closed hypothetical surface (called a Gaussian surface) and the charge enclosed by the surface. So, the nature of Gaussian surface is vector.

What surface is Gauss law?

The surface that we choose for the application of Gauss’s law is called Gaussian surface.

Is Gaussian surface always symmetrical?

The Gaussian surface for calculating the electric field due to a charge distribution is a symmetrical closed surface containing the charge distribution, at every point of which electric field has a single fixed value.

Is Gauss law valid on symmetrical surface?

Gauss’s law is valid only for symmetrical charge distributions.

Is a cube a Gaussian surface?

A Gaussian surface is a closed surface in three-dimensional space through which the flux of a vector field is calculated; usually the gravitational field, the electric field, or magnetic field. So a cube can be a Gaussian surface, a sphere can be a Gaussian surface, the surface of a tree can be a Gaussian surface!May 13, 2020.

Is Gaussian a surface vector?

The Gaussian surface has a direction outwards the enclosed path. It obeys vector algebra rules. It is in 3D space. So clearly it is a vector in nature.

What is Gaussian surface shaala?

Solution. Gauss’s law states that the flux of the electric field through any closed surface S is 1/∈ₒ times the total charge enclosed by S. Let the total flux through a sphere of radius r enclose a point charge q at its centre. Divide the sphere into a small area element as shown in the figure.