Why is There a - Sign in an Integral?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the presence of a negative sign in the integral expression (z2 - z1)dA, which represents a volume element in fluid mechanics. The negative sign arises because z1 is defined as the larger value, indicating that z1 and z2 are negative numbers when considering z=0 as the fluid surface. This convention ensures that the force acts in the positive z direction, clarifying the physical interpretation of the integral.

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Homework Statement


why there is - sign in front of integral of (z2-z1)dA , is it a mistake ?

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In your picture, they define the height of the volume element (a positive number) as z1-z2. This means that z1 must be the larger number. I'm guessing that they must be thinking of z=0 as the surface of the fluid, making z1 and z2 negative numbers...so they have the negative sign out front to make the force act in the positive z direction. Just a guess anyway.
 
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