What meaning is divergence and curl?

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    Curl Divergence
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SUMMARY

Divergence and curl are fundamental concepts in vector calculus, particularly relevant in physics. Divergence quantifies the rate of increase of a vector field in the direction of the vector, while curl measures the rate of increase perpendicular to the vector. Understanding these concepts is crucial for applications in fluid dynamics and electromagnetism, where they describe the behavior of vector fields. These definitions are well-established in classical physics discussions.

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  • Study the mathematical definitions of divergence and curl in vector calculus
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HeilPhysicsPhysics
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What does a divergence calculate?
What meaning is it for a vector?
And also what is curl?

Why we have to definte divergence and curl?
 
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What meaning is divergence and curl in physics?
 
Do a search here. This has been discussed atleast a few times in the classical physics forum.
 
HeilPhysicsPhysics said:
What meaning is divergence and curl in physics?
In simple terms, the divergence of a vector field is its rate of increase in the direction of the vector. The curl is the rate of increase perpendiclar to the vector.
 

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