Use Green's theorem to calculate work done ?

In summary: I want to make sure I'm not missing anything and that I can do the problems correctly when I get to them. Thanks for your help!In summary, the problem asks for the work done by a force on a particle moving around a closed path. The conditions under which Green's theorem applies are given, and the steps needed to apply the theorem are also mentioned.
  • #1
CalleighMay
36
0
Hey guys! I have been on the forum for about a week or so and have compiled a lot of information and techniques to help me understand calculus, so i really appreciate everyone's help!

I am a soon-to-be freshman in college and am taking a summer class, calculus II (took calc I in HS). This is our last week of class after our final exam so my professor is taking this time to give us a preview of what we will be learning in the fall semester in Calc III (since this is the same professor). Every Tuesday class our professor gives us a few problems from future sections and asks us to "see what we can come up with" and to work together to find solutions. The following Tuesday he asks us to discuss the problems as a class, seeing which ones of us know our stuff =P

Basically, i want to ask you guys what you think about these problems as i do them along before i have my discussion. I really want to make a lasting impression on my professor by "knowing my stuff" -to show him i can do it! All's i need is a little help! Would you guys mind giving me some help?

We are using the textbook Calculus 8th edition by Larson, Hostetler and Edwards and the problems come from the book.

The problem is on pg 1096 in chapter 15.4 in the text, number 24. It reads:

Use green's theorem to calculate the work done by the force F on a particle that is moving counterclockwise around the closed path C
It gives:
F(x,y)=(3x^2+y)i + 4xy^2j
and gives:
C: boundary of the region lying between the graphs of y=(sqrt x) and y=0, and x=9

I looked at similar problems in the same section and came up with the following for this one:

work= integral (with C at bottom) of 3x^2+y dx + 4xy^2 dy
=Integral (with R at bottom) of the integral of ?
..this is where i get lost, kind of confused as to what the C is and how to integrate with it. Also, what's R?

This doesn't seem that bad of a problem, i just think I'm missing something since it seems too easy?

Any further help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys! =/
 
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  • #2
Start by stating Green's theorem and the conditions under which it holds. Hint: The region bounded by C is crucial here.
 
  • #3
how do i use it though? I've seen it done for similar problems but i can't follow their work.
 
  • #4
If you are not going to take the advice given, why post here?

What is Green's theorem?
 
  • #5
HallsofIvy said:
If you are not going to take the advice given, why post here?

What is Green's theorem?

Let C be a positively oriented, piecewise smooth curve and let D be the region bounded by C, and let P and Q be functions of (x,y) defined on a region containing D, then:

[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\int_{D}[/tex][tex]\left(\frac{dQ}{dx}[/tex]-[tex]\frac{dP}{dy}\right)[/tex]=[tex]\oint_{C}[/tex] Qdx+Pdy
 
Last edited:
  • #6
That isn't enough. You also need to know how to use and more importantly know when it applies.
 
  • #7
BoundByAxioms said:
Let C be a positively oriented, piecewise smooth curve and let D be the region bounded by C, and let P and Q be functions of (x,y) defined on a region containing D, then:

[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\int_{D}[/tex][tex]\left(\frac{dQ}{dx}[/tex]-[tex]\frac{dP}{dy}\right)[/tex]=[tex]\oint_{C}[/tex] Qdx+Pdy

I think Halls was talking to the OP.
 
  • #8
cristo said:
I think Halls was talking to the OP.

Yeah but she hadn't replied, so I figured I'd edge her on a bit? I took a vector calculus class, and Green's Theorem was the last thing we learned, and it wasn't taught very clearly, so I'm interested in being able to better understand it. I was hoping she would answer so I could see what everyone said, but when she hadn't answered, I did it for her to prevent the thread from fizzling away. From what I can understand, Green's Theorem applies when you can use a line integral over a curve, or a double integral over a region, and sometimes one method is easier than the other.
 
  • #9
Green's was the last thing you learnt? That's strange, because Green is usually taught before Stokes which would definitely be covered in a vector calc class.
 
  • #10
Defennder said:
Green's was the last thing you learnt? That's strange, because Green is usually taught before Stokes which would definitely be covered in a vector calc class.

Yup we did not cover Stoke's Theorem. Our class was a little slow, you could say. And the professor was a little ineffective at times...again this is why I'm interested in this thread.
 

Related to Use Green's theorem to calculate work done ?

1. What is Green's theorem?

Green's theorem is a mathematical tool used to calculate the work done by a force field along a closed curve in two-dimensional space. It relates the line integral of a vector field around a closed curve to the double integral of the curl of the vector field over the region enclosed by the curve.

2. How is Green's theorem used to calculate work done?

Green's theorem is used to calculate work done by evaluating the line integral of a vector field along a closed curve. This can be done by first finding the curl of the vector field, then setting up a double integral over the region enclosed by the curve, and finally solving for the resulting value.

3. What are the requirements for using Green's theorem?

In order to use Green's theorem, the vector field must be continuously differentiable and the curve must be closed. Additionally, the region enclosed by the curve must be simply connected, meaning that it does not contain any holes or self-intersections.

4. Can Green's theorem be used in three-dimensional space?

No, Green's theorem is only applicable in two-dimensional space. In three-dimensional space, Stokes' theorem is used to calculate the work done by a force field along a closed surface.

5. What are some real-life applications of Green's theorem?

Green's theorem has various applications in physics, engineering, and other fields. It can be used to calculate the work done by a conservative force, the circulation of a fluid, and the flow of a fluid through a surface. It is also used in electromagnetism to calculate the electric and magnetic fields around a closed loop.

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