How to Set Up a Surface Integral for Finding Average Value on a Unit Sphere?

jacksonb62
Messages
21
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Find the average value of the function f(x,y,z)=xyz on the unit sphere in the first octant

Homework Equations



I know that I need the surface integral of xyz over the sphere and then need to divide by the surface area of the region, but I'm having a hard time setting up the integration. We have always done surface integrals with double integrals, but for this I feel like spherical coordinates need to be used which I only know how to set up in a triple integral. Help please!

The Attempt at a Solution

 
Physics news on Phys.org
jacksonb62 said:

Homework Statement



Find the average value of the function f(x,y,z)=xyz on the unit sphere in the first octant

Homework Equations



I know that I need the surface integral of xyz over the sphere and then need to divide by the surface area of the region, but I'm having a hard time setting up the integration. We have always done surface integrals with double integrals, but for this I feel like spherical coordinates need to be used which I only know how to set up in a triple integral. Help please!

The Attempt at a Solution


Spherical coordinates with ##\rho## constant will only have two variables, giving a double integral. What is the formula for the element of surface area in spherical coordinates? ##dS = ??##.
 
There are two things I don't understand about this problem. First, when finding the nth root of a number, there should in theory be n solutions. However, the formula produces n+1 roots. Here is how. The first root is simply ##\left(r\right)^{\left(\frac{1}{n}\right)}##. Then you multiply this first root by n additional expressions given by the formula, as you go through k=0,1,...n-1. So you end up with n+1 roots, which cannot be correct. Let me illustrate what I mean. For this...
Back
Top