What meaning is divergence and curl?

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Divergence measures the rate at which a vector field expands or contracts at a given point, indicating how much "stuff" is flowing out of or into that point. In contrast, curl quantifies the rotation or twisting of the vector field around a point, representing the tendency of the field to circulate. Both concepts are essential in physics for understanding fluid dynamics and electromagnetic fields. They provide insights into how forces and flows behave in various physical scenarios. Understanding divergence and curl is crucial for analyzing vector fields in both theoretical and applied physics contexts.
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What does a divergence calculate?
What meaning is it for a vector?
And also what is curl?

Why we have to definte divergence and curl?
 
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What meaning is divergence and curl in physics?
 
Do a search here. This has been discussed atleast a few times in the classical physics forum.
 
HeilPhysicsPhysics said:
What meaning is divergence and curl in physics?
In simple terms, the divergence of a vector field is its rate of increase in the direction of the vector. The curl is the rate of increase perpendiclar to the vector.
 

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