Flux Calculations for Open and Closed Cylinders?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the calculation of flux through open and closed cylinders in vector fields. The first part of the problem requires finding the flux through a closed cylinder, which includes the circular disks at both ends, while the second part focuses on the flux through only the curved surface of an open cylinder. The distinction lies in the inclusion of the end caps in the closed cylinder, highlighting the importance of understanding topological definitions in the context of flux calculations.

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I have a quick question about the wording of a problem I have. It's in two parts.

The first part asks me to find the flux of a given vector field through the closed cylinder of given dimensions. That's fine, no problem.

The second part then asks me to find the flux of the same field through the curved sides of the open cylinder in the previous part.


Is this just poor wording, or is there actually a difference that I am not seeing?

Thanks for your help!
 
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I'm guessing the closed one has caps on it (ie, it includes the disk at each end of the cylinder) and the open one one doesn't. "Open" and "closed" have precise topological meanings, but no surface can be open in R^3, so this can't be what they mean.
 

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