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Re: [Phys-L] charged paralle plates



By symmetry a sheet of charge x produces equal and opposite fields on either side. By superposition the field due to several sheets is just the sum of the fields due to each one individually.

Thus, for the field INSIDE the left plate to vanish, the total of the three sheet charges to the right must be the same as the sheet charge on the left side of the left plate.

John Mallinckrodt
Cal Poly Pomona

On Jan 22, 2014, at 1:53 PM, Carl Mungan wrote:

John M wrote:

Because the field
inside the left plate is zero, Gauss' law requires the total charge on the
three remaining sides ALSO to be x.

Of course your numerical answers are right. But I don't follow how
you used Gauss' law in this step. Be explicit: I assume you're
thinking of a rectangular gaussian surface. Exactly what does it
enclose? I can't see how to draw a surface to prove your assertion
above. I can prove this assertion by superposition of the fields, and
not by drawing a gaussian surface. -Carl
--
Carl E Mungan, Assoc Prof of Physics 410-293-6680 (O) -3729 (F)
Naval Academy Stop 9c, 572C Holloway Rd, Annapolis MD 21402-1363
mailto:mungan@usna.edu http://usna.edu/Users/physics/mungan/
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