Line Integrals around a Square on the x-y Plane

Toby_phys
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Homework Statement


Evaluate the following line integrals, showing your working. The path of integration in each case is anticlockwise around the four sides of the square OABC in the x−y plane whose edges are aligned with the coordinate axes. The length of each side of the square is a and one corner O is the origin.
(i) ##\int dl ##
(ii)## \int d\mathbf{l}##

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


i:
For each the sections OA and AB, the integral gets a value ##a##. This is clear.

However, for the sections BC and CO, the change in x is in the negative x direction.

Basically I have 2 different answers ##4a## and ##0##, which is correct? Thank you.

ii:

Same problem, I have 2 answers: ##2a\mathbf{i} + 2a\mathbf{j}## or ##0\mathbf{i}+0\mathbf{j}##
 
on Phys.org
I suggest you parametrise each segment and explicitly compute the integrals. Pay particular attention to the integration directions.
 

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