Question

What is the gauss law and its uses.

Answer 1

The law relates the flux through any closed surface and the net charge enclosed within the surface. The law states that the total flux of the electric field E over any closed surface is equal to 1/εo times the net charge enclosed by the surface.

∅ = q/ ∈

 

This closed imaginary surface is called Gaussian surface. Gauss's law tells us that the flux of E through a closed surface S depends only on the value of net charge inside the surface and not on the location of the charges. Charges outside the surface will not contribute to flux.

Application :

1. to find Electric field due to an infinite long straight charged wire
2. Electric field due to an infinite charged plane sheet
3. Electric field due to two parallel charged sheets
4. Electric field due to uniformly charged spherical shell
5. Electrostatic shielding

Electrostatic shielding  :

it is the process of isolating a certain region of space from external field. It is based on the fact that electric field inside a conductor is zero.

During a thunder accompanied by lightning, it is safer to sit inside a bus than in open ground or under a tree. The metal body of the bus provides electrostatic shielding, where the electric field is zero. During lightning the electric discharge passes through the body of the bus.