Differentials of spherical surface area and volume

In summary, when dividing the differential dA by dV for a sphere, the result is 2/r. However, treating it as a derivative would give a different result of 1/dr. This is because the differential of surface area (dA) is equal to 8πr, while the differential of volume (dV) is equal to 4πr^2 for a sphere of radius r. Thus, dA/dV is 2/r, while dA/dr is 8πr and dV/dr is 4πr^2.
  • #1
iScience
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please tell me if i did this correctly:

task: I'm trying to divide the differential dA by dV

where.. dA = differential surface area of a sphere, dV = differential volume of a sphere

dA=8[itex]\pi[/itex]rdr
dV=4[itex]\pi[/itex]r2dr

so then dA/dV= 2/r


Also, if i treat this as a derivative, then would dA/dV = 1/dr?
 
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  • #2
dA/dV would be how the area changes with the volume.
So you can check it out from the known relations:

##A(R)=4\pi R^2## is the surface area of a sphere radius R, and
##V(R)=\frac{4}{3}\pi R^3## is it's volume, then

So find A(V) and differentiate.
 
  • #3
dA/dV= 2/r
this is right
dA/dV = 1/dr
this is not, how did you arrive at it?
 
  • #4
For a sphere of radius r, [itex]A= 4\pi r^2[/itex] and [itex]V= (4/3)\pi r^3[itex].

So [itex]dA/dr= 8\pi r[/itex] and [itex]dV/dr= 4\pi r^2[/itex].

Then [itex]dV/dA= (dV/dr)/(dA/dr)= (4\pi r^2)/(8\pi r)= (1/2)r[/itex]
and [itex]dA/dV= (dA/dr)/(dA/dr)= (8\pi r)/(4\pi r^2)= 2/r[/itex]

"dA/dV= 1/dr" makes no sense because you have a differential on the right side and not on the left.
 

1. What is the formula for calculating the surface area of a spherical differential?

The formula for calculating the surface area of a spherical differential is dS = r^2 * sin(phi) * d(theta) * d(phi), where r is the radius of the sphere, phi is the angle from the positive z-axis, and theta is the angle from the positive x-axis.

2. How is the volume of a spherical differential calculated?

The volume of a spherical differential is calculated using the formula dV = r^2 * sin(phi) * d(theta) * d(phi), where r is the radius of the sphere, phi is the angle from the positive z-axis, and theta is the angle from the positive x-axis.

3. What is the difference between surface area and volume of a spherical differential?

The surface area of a spherical differential represents the total area of the curved surface, while the volume represents the amount of space enclosed by the surface. In other words, the surface area is a two-dimensional measurement, while the volume is a three-dimensional measurement.

4. How do changes in radius and angle affect the surface area and volume of a spherical differential?

As the radius of the sphere increases, both the surface area and volume of the spherical differential also increase. Similarly, as the angle from the positive z-axis and positive x-axis increases, the surface area and volume also increase.

5. What are some practical applications of differentials of spherical surface area and volume?

One practical application is in fluid mechanics, where these calculations are used to determine the rate of change of fluid flow in a spherical container. They are also used in physics and engineering to calculate the forces and stresses on curved surfaces. In addition, these concepts are important in fields such as astronomy, where the surface area and volume of celestial objects are studied.

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