Evaluate using divergence theorem

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around applying the divergence theorem to evaluate a surface integral involving a vector field over a volume defined by a paraboloid cut off by the plane z=3. Participants are exploring the calculation of the volume element dV and the divergence of the vector field.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss using different coordinate systems (spherical and cylindrical) to compute the volume of the solid bounded by the paraboloid and the plane. There are attempts to set up triple integrals and surface integrals, with some participants questioning the assumptions made regarding the height of the paraboloid.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided suggestions for using cylindrical coordinates, noting that it may simplify the calculations. There is recognition of the need to account for both the top and bottom surfaces in the surface integral. The conversation reflects an ongoing exploration of methods without reaching a definitive conclusion.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention constraints related to the problem's instructions, specifically the requirement to use the divergence theorem. There is also a note about the symmetry of the volume about the z-axis, which influences the choice of coordinate system.

DryRun
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Homework Statement
http://s1.ipicture.ru/uploads/20120120/eAO1JUYk.jpg

The attempt at a solution
\int\int \vec{F}.\hat{n}\,ds=\int\int\int div\vec{F}\,dV
where dV is the element of volume.
div\vec{F}=3
Now, i need to find dV which (i assume) is the hardest part of this problem.
I've drawn the graph in my copybook and it's a paraboloid cut off by the plane z=3, with the outward unit normal vector pointing upward.

OK, i have 2 ideas for calculating the volume of that spherical shape bounded by the plane z=3:
1. I could use triple integral and transform to spherical coordinates. dxdydz={\rho}^2 \sin\phi .d\rho d\phi d\theta
2. Use the flux formula for surface integral to find the surface area of the curved surface and then multiply it by the height along the z-axis which is 4-3=1.

I tried the first idea but i can't figure it out. So, I'm going with my second idea.
\phi(x,y,z)=z-4+x^2+y^2
∇\vec{\phi}=2x\vec{i}+2y\vec{j}+\vec{k}
\hat{n}=\frac{2x\vec{i}+2y\vec{j}+\vec{k}}{\sqrt{4x^2+4y^2+1}}
Flux=\int\int \vec{F}.\hat{n}\,.d \sigma=\int\int \frac{2x^2+2y^2+z}{\sqrt{4 x^2+4y^2+1}}\,.d \sigma
d\sigma = \sqrt{1+4x^2+4y^2}\,.dxdy
S.A.=\int\int (2x^2+2y^2+z)\,.dxdy
Finding the points of intersection of the plane z=3 and the paraboloid z=4-x^2-y^2, gives x^2+y^2=1 and hence r=1.

Transforming to polar coordinates:
S.A.=\int\int (2x^2+2y^2+z)\,.dxdy=\int\int (4+r^2)r\,.drd\theta=\int^{2\pi}_0 \int^1_0 (4r+r^3)\,.drd\theta=\frac{9\pi}{2}
The volume becomes: \frac{9\pi}{2} \times 1 = \frac{9\pi}{2}
\int\int\int div\vec{F}\,dV=\int\int\int 3\,dV=3\times \frac{9\pi}{2}=\frac{27\pi}{2}
This is wrong, as (according to my notes) the correct answer is \frac{3\pi}{2}. I have no idea what mistake/s i made.

EDIT: OK, after thinking more about this, i think i know where i made a mistake. I assumed the height of the paraboloid section to be 1 unit (at its peak), but the height is not constant, so i don't know how to find a value for the height. At this point, I'm thinking about going back to my first idea, which is finding the volume via triple integral using spherical coordinates. Any advice?

If i use triple integral with spherical coordinates:
z=4-x^2-y^2 becomes \rho\cos\phi=4-{\rho}^2 {\sin}^2 \phi
This becomes: {\rho}^2 {\cos}^2 \phi +\rho \cos \phi=4+{\rho}^2
It's a dilemma as I'm stuck with 2 variables.
 
Last edited:
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Any help?
 
I suggest evaluating the volume integral using cylindrical coordinates since the volume is symmetrical about the z-axis.
 
sharks said:
Homework Statement
http://s1.ipicture.ru/uploads/20120120/eAO1JUYk.jpg

The attempt at a solution
\int\int \vec{F}.\hat{n}\,ds=\int\int\int div\vec{F}\,dV
where dV is the element of volume.
div\vec{F}=3
Now, i need to find dV which (i assume) is the hardest part of this problem.
I've drawn the graph in my copybook and it's a paraboloid cut off by the plane z=3, with the outward unit normal vector pointing upward.

OK, i have 2 ideas for calculating the volume of that spherical shape bounded by the plane z=3:
1. I could use triple integral and transform to spherical coordinates. dxdydz={\rho}^2 \sin\phi .d\rho d\phi d\theta
2. Use the flux formula for surface integral to find the surface area of the curved surface and then multiply it by the height along the z-axis which is 4-3=1.

I tried the first idea but i can't figure it out. So, I'm going with my second idea.
\phi(x,y,z)=z-4+x^2+y^2
∇\vec{\phi}=2x\vec{i}+2y\vec{j}+\vec{k}
\hat{n}=\frac{2x\vec{i}+2y\vec{j}+\vec{k}}{\sqrt{4x^2+4y^2+1}}
Flux=\int\int \vec{F}.\hat{n}\,.d \sigma=\int\int \frac{2x^2+2y^2+z}{\sqrt{4 x^2+4y^2+1}}\,.d \sigma
d\sigma = \sqrt{1+4x^2+4y^2}\,.dxdy
S.A.=\int\int (2x^2+2y^2+z)\,.dxdy
Finding the points of intersection of the plane z=3 and the paraboloid z=4-x^2-y^2, gives x^2+y^2=1 and hence r=1.

Transforming to polar coordinates:
S.A.=\int\int (2x^2+2y^2+z)\,.dxdy=\int\int (4+r^2)r\,.drd\theta=\int^{2\pi}_0 \int^1_0 (4r+r^3)\,.drd\theta=\frac{9\pi}{2}
Up to here, your work is fine. You've evaluated the surface integral over the upper surface of the solid, but you still need to add the contribution from the bottom surface. In other words, you have
$$\iint_S \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds = \iint_{S_\text{top}} \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds + \iint_{S_\text{bottom}} \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds$$and you need to still do the second integral on the righthand side. The bottom surface is the unit circle lying in the z=3 plane centered about the z-axis.

The volume becomes: \frac{9\pi}{2} \times 1 = \frac{9\pi}{2}
\int\int\int div\vec{F}\,dV=\int\int\int 3\,dV=3\times \frac{9\pi}{2}=\frac{27\pi}{2}
This is wrong, as (according to my notes) the correct answer is \frac{3\pi}{2}. I have no idea what mistake/s i made.
I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that the volume is 9π/2 times anything.

EDIT: OK, after thinking more about this, i think i know where i made a mistake. I assumed the height of the paraboloid section to be 1 unit (at its peak), but the height is not constant, so i don't know how to find a value for the height. At this point, I'm thinking about going back to my first idea, which is finding the volume via triple integral using spherical coordinates. Any advice?

If i use triple integral with spherical coordinates:
z=4-x^2-y^2 becomes \rho\cos\phi=4-{\rho}^2 {\sin}^2 \phi
This becomes: {\rho}^2 {\cos}^2 \phi +\rho \cos \phi=4+{\rho}^2
It's a dilemma as I'm stuck with 2 variables.
The point of the problem was to avoid doing the surface integrals by evaluating the volume integral, so this is indeed the tack you want to take. (Since you already did the hard part, you might want to finish off the surface integral calculation just to see it indeed all works out.) However, as I noted in my other post, cylindrical coordinates are better suited to this problem.
 
Last edited:
sharks said:
Any help?
Before "bumping" your thread, you should wait 24 hours after you first post it. (It's a rule.)
 
The instructions for this problem state that you are to use the divergence theorem. Therefore, you should evaluate \displaystyle {\int\!\!\!\!\int\!\!\!\!\int}_{D} \ div(\vec{F})\,dV\,.

I agree with vela's suggestion to use cylindrical coordinates. After all, you're using the divergence theorem to make things easier. Why complicate things by using spherical coordinates? Cartesian coordinates would be easier to use than spherical coordinates.
 
Thanks for the advice, vela. I'm going to find the flux of bottom disc.
SammyS, i apologize for bumping this topic a bit early. I waited 17 hours, but i should have read the rules.:redface:

Finding: \iint_{S_\text{bottom}} \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds
\phi(x,y,z)=-z+3∇\vec{\phi}=-\vec{k}\hat{n}=-\vec{k}Flux=\iint \vec{F}.\hat{n}\,.d \sigma=\iint -z\,.d \sigmad\sigma = \sqrt{0+0+1}\,.dxdyS.A.=\iint (-z)\,.dxdy=-\iint 3\,.dxdy
Converting to polar coordinates:S.A.=-\int^{2\pi}_0 \int^1_0 3\,.rdrd\theta =-3\pi
\iint_S \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds = \iint_{S_\text{top}} \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds + \iint_{S_\text{bottom}} \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n}\,ds=\frac{9\pi}{2}+-3\pi=\frac{3\pi}{2}
This is correct. But now, I'm going to try to work it out as the problem intended using the divergence theorem.
\int\int \vec{F}.\hat{n}\,ds=\int\int\int div\vec{F}\,dVdiv\vec{F}=3
Now, i have to find dV. To find the volume of this bell-shaped paraboloid using cylindrical coordinates is a bit odd for me, as i never used cylindrical coordinates for anything other than a perfect cylinder. I agree that the section under the plane z=3 will be as a cylinder, but I'm going for it with what i know. So, converting to cylindrical coordinates:
\int^{2\pi}_0 \int^1_0 \int^{4-r^2}_3 r.dzdrd\theta
For θ and r fixed, z varies from z=3 to z=4-r^2
For θ fixed, r varies from 0 to 1
θ varies from 0 to 2∏
The answer is... \frac{\pi}{2}
\int\int\int div\vec{F}\,dV=3\times \frac{\pi}{2}=\frac{3\pi}{2} which is correct! Thanks, vela and SammyS for your advice.
 
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