= Gaussian surface
{c}
{wiki}
= Gauss surface
{c}
{synonym}
A <Gaussian surface> is a <closed surface> used with the integral form of <Gauss's law> to relate <electric flux> to enclosed <electric charge>. It need not coincide with the surface of any charged body. Choosing it to match a <symmetry> can make the normal component of the <electric field> constant on a portion of it, allowing that component to be taken outside a <surface integral>. A concentric <sphere> works for an isolated <spherically symmetric> charge distribution; an arbitrarily placed <sphere> generally does not.
Zero enclosed <electric charge> implies zero total <electric flux>. Inferring zero <electric field> additionally needs information such as the <spherical symmetry> used in the <electric field of a uniformly charged spherical shell>. The imagined boundary does not itself block or redirect the <electric field>.
Back to article page
