Arc area of a sphere? (a piece of r^2*sinθ*ΔrΔθΔφ)

In summary, the conversation discusses the derivation of the divergence formula in spherical coordinates by considering a small arc-volume around a point on the sphere. The conversation also mentions the difficulty in finding the area of a curved surface in two angles and requests assistance in finding the areas of two surfaces.
  • #1
JJHK
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Arc area of a sphere? (a piece of r^2*sinθ*ΔrΔθΔφ)

Hello, this is not a homework question. I'm trying to self-derive the divergence formula in spherical coordinates, and I'm doing this by taking a small arc-volume about the point (r,θ,φ), where r is the radial distance from the origin, θ is the polar angle from the positive z-axis, and φ is the azimuthal angle from the positive x-axis.

Consider a small slab of the sphere about (r,θ,φ). The volume of this small slab is: Δr*(r*Δθ)*(r*sinθ*Δφ). Consider the side of the slab that has the normal vector(to the surface) = +r(hat). How would I find the area of this surface? It is curved in two angles; I have no idea how to compute the area. If someone can show me how to compute this area, it would be greatly appreciated.

I have another area-portion that I can't figure out. Consider the surface with the normal vector = +θ(hat). I initially thought the area to this surface was [itex]\frac{1}{2}[/itex]Δφ*(r+[itex]\frac{Δr}{2}[/itex])2 - [itex]\frac{1}{2}[/itex]Δφ*(r-[itex]\frac{Δr}{2}[/itex])2 = r*Δr*Δφ

But I realized that i forgot the fact that this area will also be dependent upon θ. So can anyone help me out with these two surface areas? Thanks
 
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I edited the post, and now the LaTeX stuff isn't showing up :/. Here it is again, hopefully unbroken this time

[itex]\frac{1}{2}[/itex]Δφ*(r+[itex]\frac{Δr}{2}[/itex])2 - [itex]\frac{1}{2}[/itex]Δφ*(r-[itex]\frac{Δr}{2}[/itex])2 = r*Δr*Δφ
 

What is the formula for calculating the arc area of a sphere?

The formula for calculating the arc area of a sphere is A = r2sinθΔrΔθΔφ, where r is the radius of the sphere, θ is the central angle of the arc, and Δr, Δθ, and Δφ are the differentials of the three variables.

How does the arc area of a sphere differ from the surface area?

The arc area of a sphere refers to the area of a specific portion of the sphere's surface, while the surface area of a sphere refers to the total area of the entire sphere's surface.

What are the units for measuring the arc area of a sphere?

The units for measuring the arc area of a sphere will depend on the units used for the radius, but typically it will be in square units (such as square meters or square inches).

Can the arc area of a sphere be negative?

No, the arc area of a sphere cannot be negative. It is a measure of surface area and therefore must be a positive value.

How is the arc area of a sphere used in real-world applications?

The arc area of a sphere is used in various fields such as engineering, physics, and astronomy to calculate the surface area of curved objects. It is also used in geometry and calculus to solve problems involving spherical coordinates.

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