Vector Calculus - Divergence theorem

In summary, Gauss's divergence theorem was used to calculate the flux of the vector field through the cube. The flux was found to be zero for the top face due to the outward unit normal. The other five faces were found to have positive fluxes due to the normal vectors pointing outwards.
  • #1
scarlets99
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Homework Statement


1. Consider a cube with vertices at A=(0,0,0) B=(2,0,0) C=(2,2,0) D=(0,2,0) E=(0,0,2) F=(2,0,2) G=(2,2,2) H=(0,2,2)
A)Calculate the flux of the vector fieldF=xi through each face of the cube by taking the normal vectors pointing outwards.
B)Verify Gauss's divergence theorem for the cube and the vector field F by computing each side of the formula.
C)Using Gauss's divergence theorem evaluate the flux \(\displaystyle \int \int F.dS \) of the vector field F=xi+yj+\(\displaystyle z^2\)k where S is a closed surface consisting of the cylinder\(\displaystyle x^2 + y^2 = a^2\), 0<z<b and the circular disks \(\displaystyle x^2 + y^2 , a^2\) at z=0 and \(\displaystyle x^2 + y^2 = a^2\) at z=b.

I have the basics but don't know how to get an answer. My workings are attatched.

Homework Equations



Gauss's divergence theorem

The Attempt at a Solution



My workings are attatched.
 

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  • #2
I don't understand what you are doing in part (i)...there are six different faces and each of the will have a different normal. For example, the face at [itex]z=2[/itex] (the top face if the vertical axis is the z-axis) will have an outward unit normal of [itex]\textbf{k}[/itex], and hence will be perpendicular to [itex]\textbf{F}=x\textbf{i}[/itex] and the flux through that face will be zero. What about the other 5 faces?

For part (ii), you apparently forgot how to differentiate:

[tex]\frac{\partial}{\partial x}x=1\neq 0[/tex]
 
  • #3
To calculate the surface integral, you want to treat each face separately and then sum the 6 results. I'm not sure if your N and n vectors are supposed to correspond to the same thing. For the top face, the outward normal vector is j according the set of axes of you drew. So the flux through that face is

[tex]\int \vec{F}\cdot d\vec{S} = \int \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,dxdz = \int (x\,\hat{i}\cdot\hat{j})\,dxdz=0[/tex]

For each face, you want to determine n, evaluate the dot product, and then integrate.

In part ii, your divergence calculation is wrong.
 
  • #4
If using the divergence theorem, from my understanding, you don't need the outward unit normals. You just take the divergence of the function, make sure the surface is closed, continuously differentiable, and integrate over a cube.
 
  • #5
thepatient said:
If using the divergence theorem, from my understanding, you don't need the outward unit normals. You just take the divergence of the function, make sure the surface is closed, continuously differentiable, and integrate over a cube.

He's supposed to verify that the divergence theorem holds for this function by computing the surface integral directly---and you do need the outward unit normals for that part--- and comparing it to the volume integral of the divergence.
 
  • #6
gabbagabbahey said:
He's supposed to verify that the divergence theorem holds for this function by computing the surface integral directly---and you do need the outward unit normals for that part--- and comparing it to the volume integral of the divergence.

Oh yea. XD I didn't read that part.

Sigh, vector calculus was my favorite part of calculus 3... I'm going to miss it.
 

1. What is the divergence theorem?

The divergence theorem, also known as Gauss's theorem, is a fundamental theorem in vector calculus that relates the flux of a vector field through a closed surface to the divergence of the field within the enclosed volume.

2. What is the physical significance of the divergence theorem?

The physical significance of the divergence theorem is that it allows us to calculate the total flow of a vector field through a closed surface by only considering the behavior of the field within the enclosed volume.

3. How is the divergence theorem related to the concept of divergence?

The divergence theorem is closely related to the concept of divergence, which measures the rate at which a vector field is expanding or contracting at a given point. The theorem states that the divergence of a vector field within a volume is equal to the flux of the field through the surface enclosing the volume.

4. What are the applications of the divergence theorem?

The divergence theorem has numerous applications in physics and engineering, including the calculation of fluid flow, electric and magnetic fields, and heat transfer. It is also used in the study of differential equations and partial differential equations.

5. Can the divergence theorem be extended to higher dimensions?

Yes, the divergence theorem can be extended to higher dimensions through the use of the generalization of the fundamental theorem of calculus, known as the generalized Stokes' theorem. This allows for the application of the divergence theorem in n-dimensional spaces, rather than just the traditional 3-dimensional space.

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