1 Answer
Maxwell's first law, also known as Gauss's law for electricity, states that the electric flux through a closed surface is proportional to the charge enclosed within the surface. In simpler terms, it tells us how electric charges create electric fields.
Mathematically, it can be written as:
\[
\oint \mathbf{E} \cdot d\mathbf{A} = \frac{Q_{\text{enc}}}{\epsilon_0}
\]
Where:
What does it mean?
Imagine you have a surface around a charged object. Gauss's law tells you how much electric field is coming out of that surface depends on the total charge inside. If you have a positive charge inside, the electric field will "radiate" out from it, and if you have a negative charge, the field will point inward.
In essence, this law connects the behavior of electric fields to the presence of electric charges, which is fundamental to understanding electromagnetism!
Mathematically, it can be written as:
\[
\oint \mathbf{E} \cdot d\mathbf{A} = \frac{Q_{\text{enc}}}{\epsilon_0}
\]
Where:
- \(\mathbf{E}\) is the electric field,
- \(d\mathbf{A}\) is an infinitesimal area on the surface,
- \(\oint\) indicates a surface integral over a closed surface,
- \(Q_{\text{enc}}\) is the total charge enclosed within the surface,
- \(\epsilon_0\) is the permittivity of free space (a constant).
What does it mean?
Imagine you have a surface around a charged object. Gauss's law tells you how much electric field is coming out of that surface depends on the total charge inside. If you have a positive charge inside, the electric field will "radiate" out from it, and if you have a negative charge, the field will point inward.In essence, this law connects the behavior of electric fields to the presence of electric charges, which is fundamental to understanding electromagnetism!