brtgreen said:Oh ok I get what you're saying. But how am I supposed to know if they're asking for just the top or the whole enclosed surface?
A surface integral is a mathematical concept used in vector calculus to calculate the flux of a vector field across a surface. It involves integrating a function over a surface, similar to how a regular integral involves integrating a function over an interval.
To compute a surface integral, you first need to determine the limits of integration for the surface. Then, you need to set up the integral using the formula for surface integrals, which involves the vector field and the surface element. Finally, you can solve the integral using appropriate techniques, such as changing variables or using symmetry.
A surface integral involves integrating a function over a surface, whereas a regular integral involves integrating a function over an interval. In other words, a surface integral is two-dimensional while a regular integral is one-dimensional.
Computing a surface integral allows us to calculate the amount of flux, or flow, of a vector field across a surface. This has many practical applications, such as in fluid mechanics, electromagnetism, and physics.
Sure, let's say we have a vector field F =