III.

f Flux and the Divergence Theorem

We obtain the Divergence Theorem by considering a physical prototype problem.
Consider a surface S immersed in a fluid with velocity v = M i + N j + P k
and density .
v
n

dS

The surface has the magical property that the fluid can move through it freely. We
wish to find the mass of fluid that crosses the surface from one side to the other (in
the given direction of n) in time dt.
Consider a piece of surface dS, let n be a unit normal (in the chosen direction)
to S. Then mass of fluid crossing d in the direction of n in time dt is:

|{z}

Density

So the total mass dM is

dM =

(v n) dt dS.
| {z }

normal
velocity
component

ZZ

{z

Volume of fluid

(v n) dS dt.

I.e.,
dM
=
dt

ZZ

v n dS.

220

We introduce the notation:



n dS = dS
v = F,

then
dM
=
dt

ZZ

F dS.

Motivated by this example, for any vector field F, we term

RR

F dS the Flux of F

on S (in the direction of n). As observed before, if F = v, the Flux has a physical
significance (it is dM/dt).
If S is now a closed surface (enclosing the region D) in (x, y, z) space, and
n points outward it was found that the Flux through S could be calculated as a
triple integral over D. This result is the Divergence Theorem. Its an extremely
important fact, but we shall not go into its physical significance in this course.
To indicate what this is about, consider the region D and vector field F =
M i + N j + P k. The region is decomposed into cubes of sides ds dy dz, and we
calculate the outward flux for each cube.

If we sum the outward fluxes from all the cubes and take the limit, then we obtain
the total outward flux through the surface S which bounds D, if we observe that
for two adjacent cubes the outward flux on the common side must cancel (outwards
from one=inwards for the other). So consider one cube centered at (x, y, z) of sides
221

dx, dy, dz.

(x , y , z)

S1

dx

j =n
n=- j

S2

dy

dz

On face S1 :
n = j,
S1 = dx dz






dy
dy
dy
F = M x, y +
, z i + N x, y +
, z j + P x, y +
, z k.
2
2
2
So
the outward flux through S1 = (F j) dx dz = N

dy
,z
x, y +
2

In the same way,

outward flux through S2 = N

dy
x, y +
,z
2

dx dz.

So
total outward flux through S1 and S2
 



dy
dy
= N x, y +
, z N x, y +
,z
dx dz
2
2


N
=
dy dx dz
y
=

N
dV.
y
222

dx dz.

If we repeat this procedure for the remaining four sides, we find

total outward flux from cube



M
N
P
+
+
=
dV = div (F) dV.
x
y
z
So

total outward flux from region D

= sum of outward fluxes from the cubes + take the limit
ZZZ
=
div (F) dV.
D

In conclusion
ZZZ

div (F) dV =
D

ZZ

F n dS.

We now pass to examples.

Example 1.

Calculate the flux:

RR

F n dS if F = x i + y j + z k, S is the upper

hemisphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9, z 0, and S is oriented upwards (i.e., n points

upward).
To practice, we shall do the problem in two ways. We first treat S using
p
(, ) as parameters and then as z = 1 x2 y 2 .
Answer.

Way 1: In spherical coordinates, we may express S as

z = 3 cos ,
S=
x = 3 sin cos , 0 /2

y = 3 sin sin , 0 2.
223

So
r(, ) = 3 sin cos i + 3 sin sin j + 3 cos k.
We next calculate a normal N by

N = r = det 3 cos cos

3 sin sin

j
3 cos sin
3 sin cos

k
3 sin
0

= i[ 9 sin2 cos ] + j[ 9 sin2 sin ] + k[ 9 sin cos ].

Next, we check if N points the right way. To see if this is the case, look at the
k component of N. It is 9 sin cos , and since 0 /2, the component is
nonnegtive. We conclude that N points in the right direction and choose
n=

r r
N
=
.
|N|
|r r |

Now dS = |r r | d d and thus

F n dS = F (r r )d d
= {[ 3 sin cos ][ 9 sin2 cos ] + [ 3 sin sin ][ 9 sin2 sin ]
=

+[ 3 cos ][ 9 sin cos ]}d d

= [ 27 sin3 cos2 + 27 sin3 sin2 + 27 cos2 sin ]d d

= [ 27 sin3 + 27 cos2 sin ]d d
224

= 27 sin d d.

And thus
ZZ

F n dS =

2
=0

= 27

Way 2: We treat S as z =
(x, y) plane.

/2

27 sin d d
=0

/2

d = 27 2 = 54.
( cos )
0

p
9 x2 y 2 , with (x, y) in D =disc of radius 3 in the
S

Now the surface S is part of x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 9, so a normal N is given by N =

2x i + 2y j + 2z k. Once again the k component if 2z so N points upward. Thus we
choose

n=

Now

dS =

N
xi+yj+ zk
xi+ yj+ zk
= p
=
.
|N|
3
x2 + y 2 + z 2

z
x

2

z
y

2

dx dy =

1+

x2
y2
+
dx dy
z2
z2

x2 + y 2 + z 2
3
3
dx dy = dx dy.
dx dy =
2
z
|z|
z
225

Finally,
F n dS =

x2 + y 2 + z 2
3

And so
ZZ

3
9
p
dx dy = p
dx dy.
2
2
9x y
9 x2 y 2
ZZ

F n dS =

We change to polar coordinates:

=

2
=0

3
r=0

9
r dr d =
(9 r 2 )1/2

2
0

9
p
dx dy.
9 x2 y 2

h
i3
9 (9 r 2 )1/2

r=0

d = 9 3 2 = 54.

Just like before!

Example 2.

Verify the Divergence Theorem for F = x2 i + y 2 j + z 2 k and the

region bounded by the cylinder x2 + z 2 = 1 and the planes z = 1, z = 1.

Answer.

We need to check (by calculating both sides) that

ZZZ

div (F) dV =
D

ZZ

F n dS,

where n = unit outward normal, and S is the complete surface surrounding D. In

our case, S consists of three parts: S1 , S2 , S3 as shown.
S2

S1
D

S3

226

We start with the triple integral and use cylindrical coordinates:

div (F) = 2x + 2y + 2z

and so
ZZ

div (F) dV =
D

2
=0

int2
=0

=4

2
=0

=0

1
r=0

[ 2(r cos + r sin ) + 2z] zr dr d

z=1

1

[ 2(r cos + r sin )z + z ] r dr d
2

r=0

4(r cos + r sin )r dr d

r=0


2
1
1
4

cos + sin d = (sin cos ) = 0.
3
3
3
0

Now we consider the Flux.

n2 = k
S2
n1
S1

n3= - k

S3

Observe that S2 is given by z = 1, (x, y) in the unit disc, and so

dS2 =

1+

z
x

2

z
y

2

dx dy = dx dy

and n2 = k. In the same way (remember we want n to point outward !) on S3 we

227

have
dS3 = dx dy
n3 = k.
Finally on S1 , we have

x = cos
y = sin , 0 2

z = z,
1 z 1.

So r(, z) = cos i + sin j + z k and

i
j
r rz = det sin cos
0
0

k
0 = (cos ) i ( sin ) j + 0 k.
1

So we take N = (cos )i + (sin )j + 0k. Does N point the right way? Note that
when = 0l, N = i which is indeed outward. Since N is either always in the right

direction or always in the opposite direction, we conclude N points the right way.
Thus
N
= (cos )i + (sin )j + 0k
|N|

n1 =

dS1 = |r rz | d dz = 1 d dz.
We now calculate the various fluxes. First
ZZ

S1

F n1 dS1 =
=
=

=2

2
=0
2
=0

1
1

(x2 i + y 2 j + z 2 k) ((cos )i + (sin )j + 0k) dz d

(cos2 )(cos ) + (sin2 )(sin ) dz d

z=1

2
=0



2{(1 sin2 ) cos + (1 cos2 ) sin } d

 
 2

sin3
cos3
 = 0,
sin
+ ( cos ) +

3
3
0
228

ZZ

S2

F n2 dS2 =
=

ZZ

ZZ

(x2 i + y 2 j + z 2 k) (k) dx dy
2

z dx dy = 1
B

ZZ

dx dy = 1 12 = .

on S2 , z=1

1
x
B

ZZ

S3

F n3 dS3 =

ZZ

(z ) dx dy = (1)

ZZ

dx dy = .

Finally,
ZZ

F n dS =

ZZ

+
S1

ZZ

+
S2

ZZ

S3

= 0 + = 0.

Example 3. Use the Divergence Theorem to calculate

RR

F n dS where F =

3z 2 y 3 i + 9x2 zy 2 j + (z 4xz 2 ) k, n points outward, and S is the surface of the solid

bounded by the paraboloid z = x2 + y 2 and the plane z = 1.

Answer.
229

z=1 z
y

x 2 + y2 = 1
B
D

z = x 2 + y2
y

We need to evaluate
ZZZ

div (F) dV =
D

ZZ

ZZ

Z


1
z=x2 +y 2

(0 + 18x2 zy 8xz + 1) dz dy dx


9x2 y(1 (x2 + y 2 )) 4x(1 (x2 + y 2 )2 ) + (1 x2 + y 2 ) dy dx

Change to polar coordinates

=
=

2
=0
2
=0

1
r=0
1
r=0


9(r 2 cos2 )(r sin )(1 r 4 ) 4r cos (1 r 4 ) + (1 r 2 ) r dr d

r(1 r 4 )[9r 3 cos2 sin 4r cos ] + r(1 r 2 ) dr d.

One can multiply this out and integrate with respect to r. It is easier to note,
however, that since the limits of integration are constants, we can simply integrate
with respect to first. We get
Z

2
cos3 
= 0,
cos sin d =
3 0
2
Z 2

cos d = sin  = 0,
2

and so our integral becomes:

Z

1
r=0

2
2

=0

r(1 r ) d dr = 2

1
3

(r r ) dr = 2

230


1 1

= .
2 4
2

RRR
Use the Divergence Theorem to calculate
1 dV where V is the
D
p
region bounded by the cone z = x2 + y 2 and the plane z = 1.
Example 4.

Answer.

Clearly the triple integral is the volume of D!

z

y
x

In order to use the Divergence Theorem, we first choose a field F whose divergence
is 1. The simplest (?) choice is F = x i, so
ZZZ

1 dV =
D

ZZZ

div (F) dV =
D

ZZ

We split S into S1 and S2 as shown:

n2

S2
n1
S1
x

Now on S2 we have, once again,



z = 1, x2 + y 2 1
dS = dx dy, n = k,
231

F n dV.

while on S1 we have
z=

p
x2 + y 2 ,

x2 + y 2 1.

If we parametrize this surface we get

x = t cos ,
y = t sin , 0 t 1

z = t,
0 2,
i.e.,

r(t, ) = (t cos )i + (t sin )j + tk,

so

rt r = det
cos
t sin

k
1
0

j
sin
t cos

= i[ t cos ] j[ t sin ] + k[ t].

Again we check the k component. It is t ( 0!) so this vector points the wrong way,
and
(cos )i + (sin )j k
(t cos )i + (t sin )j tk

=
n1 = p
2
t2 cos2 + t2 sin2 + t2

dS = |rt r | d dt = 2 t d dt.
Now
ZZ

=
S

ZZ

+
S1

ZZ

S2

and
ZZ

S2

F n2 dS2 =

ZZ

S2

(xi) k dS2 =
232

ZZ

0 dS2 = 0
S2

ZZ

S1

F n dS1 =
=

2
=0

2
=0

cos
(t cos ) 2 t d dt
2
t=0



1
1 1 + cos 2
d = 2 = .
3
2
6
3
1

233

Further Exercises:
Calculate the flux

RR

F n dS for the following.

1) S is the right hemisphere: x2 +y 2 +z 2 = a2 , y 0; n points towards increasing

y and F = xi + yj + zk.
2) S consists of the piece of cylinder x2 + y 2 = 4 between z = 1 and z = 2; n
points inwards and F = xi + yj + z 5 k.
3) S consists of the piece of the plane z = y inside x2 + y 2 = 1, n points upward
and F = yi xj + zk.
Verify the Divergence Theorem

RRR

div (F) dV =

RR

F n dS.

4) R is the region common to the paraboloids z = 1 x2 y 2 , z = 1 + x2 + y 2

and F = xi + yj.
5) R consists of the closed lower half ball: x2 + y 2 + z 2 a2 , z 0, and
F = xi + yj + zk.
6) R consists of the region bounded by the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1, the cone
p
z = x2 + y 2 and F = yj.
Calculate

RR

F n dS by the Divergence Theorem if:

7) S is the surface enclosing the region bounded below by the xy plane, to the
p
sides by the cylinder x2 + y 2 = 1 and above by the cone z = x2 + y 2 if
F = xi + (y + z 2 )j + z 2 k.

8) S is the surface enclosing the region bounded below by the plane z = 1, to

the sides by cylinder x2 + y 2 = 1 and above by the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 if
F = (sin y)i + yj + (cos x)k.
234

9) Calculate

RRR

div (F) dV by the Divergence Theorem if R is the region inbe-

tween the spheres x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1, x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4 and F = xi + yj + zk.

10) Use the Divergence Theorem to calculate the first moment Mxy of the pyramid
bounded by the coordinate planes and by the plane x+y +z = 1, if the density
is 1.

235