Surface Integral Homework: Flux Through a Cylinder

In summary, the problem asked to find the flux through a cylinder of radius R and height h using the equation Flux = ∫∫FndS over S where F = (ix + jy)*ln(x2+y2). After finding the unit normal vector (n) to the curved surface of the cylinder, the integral simplified down to ∫∫((x2+y2)/√(x2+y2))*ln(x2+y2)dS. It was determined that it is acceptable to replace x2+y2 with R2 in the integral, resulting in the final answer of 4*pi*hR2ln(R).
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Homework Statement



The problem asks to find the flux through a cylinder of radius R and height h.

Homework Equations



Flux = ∫∫FndS over S

F = (ix + jy)*ln(x2+y2)

The Attempt at a Solution



After finding the unit normal vector (n) to the curved surface of the cylinder, the integral simplified down to:

∫∫((x2+y2)/√(x2+y2))*ln(x2+y2)dS

I'm wondering if it is ok to replace x2+y2 with R2. Then the integral would be:

∫∫Rln(R2)dS

and since R is a constant

Rln(R2)∫∫dS

= 4*pi*hR2ln(R). which is the correct answer
 
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  • #2
Yeah,that's OK because you're computing [itex] \vec{F}\cdot\hat{n} [/itex] only on the surface of the cylinder!
 
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Related to Surface Integral Homework: Flux Through a Cylinder

1. What is a surface integral?

A surface integral is a mathematical concept used to calculate the total flux, or flow, of a vector field through a given surface. It is a type of line integral, which is used to calculate the total change along a given path. In surface integrals, the surface is divided into smaller elements, and the contributions from each element are added together to find the total flux.

2. What is a cylinder?

A cylinder is a three-dimensional shape that has a circular base and straight sides. It can be thought of as a stack of circles, with the height of the cylinder being the distance between the two circular bases. In terms of surface integrals, a cylinder can be defined as a curved surface with two circular bases that can be used to calculate the flux through it.

3. What is flux?

Flux is a measure of the flow of a vector field through a given surface. It can be thought of as the amount of "stuff" passing through a surface per unit time. In surface integrals, flux is typically represented by the symbol Φ and is calculated by multiplying the magnitude of the vector field by the area of the surface and the cosine of the angle between the two.

4. How is flux through a cylinder calculated?

The flux through a cylinder can be calculated using the formula Φ = ∫∫F⋅dA, where F is the vector field, dA is the differential element of area on the surface of the cylinder, and the integral is taken over the entire surface. This integral can be simplified by breaking the surface into smaller elements and summing up the contributions from each element.

5. What are some real-world applications of surface integrals?

Surface integrals have many real-world applications, including calculating fluid flow through pipes, determining the electric flux through a charged surface, and finding the heat flow through a solid object. They are also used in engineering and physics to analyze and model various systems, such as fluid dynamics and electromagnetism.

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