Gauss's Law

Gauss's law is used in physics, specifically in the field of electromagnetism.  It describes the relationship between electric fields and electric charges.  This states that the electric flux through any closed surface surrounding a charge is proportional to the total electric charge enclosed by that surface.

In simpler terms, Gauss's law states that the total electric flux passing through any closed surface is equal to the net charge enclosed by that surface divided by the vacuum permittivity.  Gauss's law is a tool for calculating electric fields in symmetric charge distributions.  It simplifies the calculation of electric fields by exploiting the symmetry of the charge distribution, often making it easier to solve problems in electrostatics.

 

Gauss's Law formula
\( \Phi_e \;=\; Q \; \varepsilon_0 \)     (Gauss's Law) \( Q \;=\; \Phi_e \;/\; \varepsilon_0 \) \( \varepsilon_0 \;=\; \Phi_e \;/\; Q \)
Symbol	English	Metric
\(  \Phi_e \) = Electric Flux Through a Closed Surface Enclosing any Volume	-	\(N-m^2\;/\;C\)
\( Q \) = Total Electric Charge Enclosed within Volume	-	\(A-s\)
\( \varepsilon_0 \) = Surface Integral of the Electric Field	-	\(V \;/\; m\)