AMATH 231

Coordinates

ASSIGNMENT # 7 Vector Identities and Curvilinear

Fall 2014

Due Monday, November 17, 2014 at 2pm in box 7, slot 11 (A-M) and 12 (N-Z), located
across from MC4066. Late assignments or assignments submitted to the incorrect dropbox
will receive a grade of zero. Write your solutions clearly and concisely. Marks will be
deducted for poor presentation and incorrect notation.
1. Let be the spherical shell x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1. Use Gauss Theorem to evaluate the
surface integral
ZZ
(x2 + y + z) d.

Hint: find a vector field F~ such that F~ n

= x2 + y + z. [2 marks]
Solution:
Since n
= (x, y, z) we must have that F~ = (x, 1, 1).
Before we apply Gauss theorem we compute the divergence in Cartesian co-ordinates
~ F~ = 1.
and find
Finally we apply Gauss theorem
ZZ
ZZZ
4
2
(x + y + z) d =
1 d = .
3

2. Let be the region enclosed by the smooth closed surface . Show that the volume
of is
ZZ
1
V =
~r n
d,
3
where n
is the outward unit normal vector and ~r = (x, y, z). [2 marks]
Solution:
The Volume of is

ZZZ
V =

1 dV

To be able to use Gauss theorem we need to write the integrand above as the divergence
of something. Given the answer we can use F~ = 31 ~r.
Now using the theorem we get the desired result.
ZZ
ZZZ
1
V =
1 dV =
~r n
d.
3

3. In our derivation of the diffusion equation in class, we assumed that the diffusion rate
of the fluidl k was constant. Assume instead that k = k(x, y, z) is a scalar field, and
show that in this case the heat equation is

~ .
~
= 2 +
t
Solution:
We take the result from class and then expand it using a vector identity,

~ (k) ,
=
t
~ .
~
= k2 + k
5. The electric potential (x) in R3 due to a (constant) point charge q at x0 is given by
(x) =

q
.
||x x0 ||

RR
b dS where
For any piecewise smooth surface, , enclosing the charge, evaluate E n

E = . HINT: Let be the interior of . Gauss Theorem cannot be applied

since E is not C 1 at x0 . Rather let H be a sphere lying entirely in centred at x0 ,
and then apply the Generalized Gauss Theorem. [4 marks]
Let be the interior of and let H be the interior of the sphere H. The Generalized
Gauss Theorem is
ZZ
ZZ
ZZZ
b dS.
b dS =
EdV +
En
En
H

Observe that E = 0 as follows: since E = , then

E=
where r := ||x x0 || =

E=

q
(x x0 , y y0 , z z0 )
r3

(x x0 )2 + (y y0 )2 + (z z0 )2 . We are interested in

q(x x0 )
q(y y0 )
q(z z0 )
+
+
.
3
3
x
r
y
r
z
r3

Note that r depends on x, y and z. It follows that

!


r
3(x x0 ) x
q(x x0 )
1
1
3(x x0 )2
=q

=q

x
r3
r3
r4
r3
r5
since

r
x x0
=
.
x
r

In a similar manner,


q(y y0 )
1
3(y y0 )2
=q

y
r3
r3
r5


q(z z0 )
1
3(z z0 )2
.
=q

z
r3
r3
r5
It follows that
E=q


3
3q 
5 (x x0 )2 + (y y0 )2 + (z z0 )2 = 0.
3
r
r |
{z
}
r2

The Generalized Gauss Theorem becomes

ZZ
ZZ
b dS =
b dS.
En
En

Suppose the sphere, H, centred at x0 has radius a > 0, then parameterizing H using
spherical coordinates centred at x0 gives
g(u, v) = (a cos v sin u, a sin v sin u, a cos u) on Duv = [0, ] [0, 2].
This leads to (exercise)
E(g(u, v)) =

q
(a cos v sin u, a sin v sin u, a cos u)
a3

and (exercise)


gu gv = a2 cos v sin2 u, a2 sin v sin2 u, a2 cos u sin u .
Using the definition of a surface integral
ZZ
ZZ
b dS =
En
E(g(u, v)) (gu gv )dudv
H

Duv

(cos v sin u, sin v sin u, cos u)

=q
0

cos v sin2 u, sin v sin2 u, cos u sin u dudv
Z

cos2 v sin3 u + sin2 v sin3 u + sin u cos2 u dudv

=q
Z0 2
=q

dv

sin udu


= q2 ( cos u)  = 4q.
0

Therefore,
ZZ
E ndS = 4q.

Observe that the radius of H does not appear in the final answer.
Aside (not to be marked): If 1 is a piecewise smooth surface that does not enclose
the point x0 , then E is C 1 on 1 and its interior, and hence Gauss Theorem can be
applied. It follows that
ZZZ
ZZ
ZZZ
b dS =
0dV = 0.
EdV =
En
1