5/16/2011

VECTOR CALCULUS

RECALL: FLUX ACROSS A CURVE

Last week we studied flux across a curve C in two-dimensions:

5.5 Course Notes

Flux across a Surface

Flux across a curve F nds

C

We now extend the idea to flux across a three-dimensional surface, but before we need the concept of Orientable Surfaces.

ORIENTABLE SURFACE & ORIENTATION

POSSIBLE ORIENTATIONS

If it is possible to choose a unit normal vector n at every such point (x, y, z) so that n varies continuously over S, then:
S is called an orientable surface. The given choice of n provides S with an orientation.

There are two possible orientations for any orientable surface.

NONORIENTABLE SURFACES

MOBIUS STRIP

An example of nonorientable surfaces is the Mbius strip shown.

It is named after the German geometer August Mbius (1790 1868).

We can easily construct a Mobius strip:

1. Taking a long rectangular strip of paper. 2. Giving it a half-twist. 3. Taping the short edges together.

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MOBIUS STRIP

FLUX INTEGRAL

If an ant were to crawl along the Mbius strip starting at a point P, it would end up back at the same point P without ever having crossed an edge.

If F is a continuous vector field defined on an oriented surface S with unit normal vector n, then the flux of F across S is the surface integral:

Flux across a surface F ndS

S
Therefore, a Mbius strip really has only one side.

FLUX INTEGRAL

FLUX INTEGRAL

Example 1 Pages 83 - 84 Course Notes Let S be the part of the xz-plane where

Example 2 Page 84 Course Notes Let S be the half cylinder

1 x 1 and 0 z 1.
Find the Flux of the constant vector field

x 2 y 2 1,

y 0 and 0 z 1.

Find the Flux of the constant vector field

F i 2j k
across S in the positive y-direction.

F i 2j k
across S in the outward direction.

FLUX ACROSS THE SURFACE OF A SOLID

Example Page 88 Course Notes Find the Flux of

F x 2i xyj 3zk

across the surface S bounded by the planes

x 0,

y 0, z 0,

y 1, x z 1.