How do you intergrate a triangle ?

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In summary, the conversation discusses how to approach the surface integral of a triangle bounded by specific coordinates using Stokes' theorem. The speaker suggests integrating horizontal lines across the triangle and figuring out how to express the length of each line as a function of z. They also mention the importance of considering the direction of rotation of the vector field and possibly using a change of coordinates.
  • #1
Haths
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Basically. How would I even begin to go about doing the surface integral of a triangle bound by the co-ordinates;

(1,0,0)
(0,1,0)
(0,0,1)

This is part of a larger question to compute;

[tex]
\int \int \vec{F} \cdot d \vec{r}
[/tex]

Around the surface using stokes theorum, the scalar multiplier comes out as 2x+2y+2z so I'm not worried about that, but this last section of the question has dumfounded me completely. I might guess that I am being asked to develop a new co-ordinate referance point, and set of functions to describe it, but that appears like a hell of a lot of work for very little output.

Unless I am meant to cheat at this point and say; area of triangle 1/2 ab sin (theta) plug in sqrt(3) for a and b, to get an area of sqrt(3)/2 then multiply that by the scalar value to get a total of 3sqrt(3).

Yet that sounds very wrong.

Cheers,
Haths
 
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  • #2
Haths said:
Basically. How would I even begin to go about doing the surface integral of a triangle bound by the co-ordinates;

(1,0,0)
(0,1,0)
(0,0,1)

You could just "scan" across the triangle, that is, integrate horizontal lines across the face of the triangle from 0 to 1 in z, where the length of each line of a function of z. Just add 'em up. You'll have to figure out how to express the length of each line as a function of z, but I'll bet you can do that!
 
  • #3
Now that would work if I was only interested in the area, but I'm interested in the curl of the vector field. The path around the triangle A-B-C etc. is in the same direction or opposite direction to the 'rotation' of the field. The scalar quanta from before points in the positive r direction, which via the right hand rule means that the field is 'rotating' counter clockwise.

As you see the intergration needs to be done with some respect to this path somehow, and that's where the limits come in.

Haths
 
  • #4
What is your original vector function? Have you tried a change of coordinates, where one coordinate is parallel to the base of the triangle, the second is parallel to the height of the triangle , and the third is orthogonal to the first two?
 

1. How do you find the area of a triangle?

To find the area of a triangle, you can use the formula A = 1/2 * b * h, where A is the area, b is the base of the triangle, and h is the height of the triangle. Alternatively, you can also use Heron's formula, which is A = √(s(s-a)(s-b)(s-c)), where s is the semi-perimeter (half of the perimeter) and a, b, and c are the lengths of the sides of the triangle.

2. How do you find the perimeter of a triangle?

The perimeter of a triangle is the sum of all its sides. If you know the lengths of all three sides, simply add them together to find the perimeter. If you only know the lengths of two sides, you can use the Pythagorean theorem (a² + b² = c²) to find the length of the third side, and then add all three sides together to find the perimeter.

3. How do you determine if a triangle is a right triangle?

A right triangle is a triangle that has one angle measuring 90 degrees. To determine if a triangle is a right triangle, you can use the Pythagorean theorem (a² + b² = c²), where a and b are the lengths of the two shorter sides and c is the length of the longest side (also known as the hypotenuse). If the equation is satisfied, then the triangle is a right triangle.

4. How do you calculate the angles of a triangle?

To find the angles of a triangle, you can use the fact that the sum of all three angles in a triangle is always 180 degrees. If you know the measurements of two angles, you can subtract their sum from 180 to find the measure of the third angle. Alternatively, you can also use the law of sines or the law of cosines to calculate the angles of a triangle.

5. How do you determine the type of triangle based on its side lengths?

Depending on the lengths of its sides, a triangle can be classified as equilateral (all sides are equal), isosceles (two sides are equal), or scalene (all sides are different). To determine the type of triangle, you can simply measure the lengths of its sides and compare them. Additionally, you can also use the Pythagorean theorem or trigonometric ratios to identify the type of triangle.

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