- #1
Nick R
- 70
- 0
Hello I am trying to get my head around what the divergence actually represents physically.
If you have some vector field v, and the components of v, vx, vy, vz have dimensions of kg/s ("flow" - mass of material per second) the divergence will have units of kg/(s*m) (mass per time distance)
Say the divergence of v is constant in some region R with volume a.
div(v)*a has units (kg*m^2)/s (mass area per time) - this is the flux of v through area(R)
(div(v)*a)/area(R) has units (mass per time) - the net mass flowing out of R in some time
So what exactly is divergence - kg/(s*m)
Would it be accurate to think of the divergence as "Flux per volume" in general?
If you have some vector field v, and the components of v, vx, vy, vz have dimensions of kg/s ("flow" - mass of material per second) the divergence will have units of kg/(s*m) (mass per time distance)
Say the divergence of v is constant in some region R with volume a.
div(v)*a has units (kg*m^2)/s (mass area per time) - this is the flux of v through area(R)
(div(v)*a)/area(R) has units (mass per time) - the net mass flowing out of R in some time
So what exactly is divergence - kg/(s*m)
Would it be accurate to think of the divergence as "Flux per volume" in general?