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Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

3(c). The Curl

From the definition of  we construct the curl

xˆ yˆ zˆ
  A   / x  / y  / z
Ax Ay Az

 A Ay   A A   A A 
 xˆ z    yˆ  x  z   zˆ y  x 
 y z   z x   x y 

Notice that the curl of a vector function A is, like any cross product, a vector. (You
cannot have the curl of a scalar; that’s meaningless.)

Geometrical Interpretation

  A is a measure of how much the vector A “curls around” the point in question.
Figure shown below have a substantial curl, pointing in the z-direction, as the natural
right-hand rule would suggest. z

y
y

x (a ) x (b)

 rˆ rˆ r sin ˆ 

   
1    
Curl in Spherical polar coordinates   A  2
r sin   r   
 
 Ar rA r sin  A 

 rˆ rˆ zˆ 
  1     

Curl in cylindrical coordinates  A 
r  r  z 
 
 Ar rA Az 

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

Example: Suppose the function sketched in above figure are A   yxˆ  xyˆ and B  xyˆ .
Calculate their curls.
xˆ yˆ zˆ xˆ yˆ zˆ
Solution:   A   / x  / y  / z  2 zˆ and   B   / x  / y  / z  zˆ
y x 0 0 x 0

As expected, these curls point in the +z direction. (Incidentally, they both have zero
divergence, as you might guess from the pictures: nothing is “spreading out”…. it just
“curls around.”)

Example: Given a vector function A   x  c1 z xˆ  c 2 x  3z  yˆ   x  c3 y  c 4 z zˆ .

(a) Calculate the value of constants c1 , c 2 , c3 if A is irrotational.

(b) Determine the constant c 4 if A is also solenoidal.

(c) Determine the scalar potential function V, whose negative gradient equals A .

xˆ yˆ zˆ
  
Solution: If A is irrotational then,   A  0
x y z
x  c1 z  c2 x  3z   x  c3 y  c 4 z 
   A  c3  3xˆ  1  c1  yˆ  c 2  0 zˆ  0  c1  1, c 2  0, c3  3

Ax Ay Az

(b) If A is solenoidal,   A  0     1  0  c 4  0  c 4  1
x y z
V V V
(c) A  V   xˆ  yˆ  zˆ
x y z

V x2
A   x  z xˆ   3 z  yˆ   x  3 y  z zˆ   x  z  V  -  xz  f 1  y , z  ,
x 2
V V z2
 3 z  V  3yz  f 2  x, z  ,   x  3 y  z  V   xz  3 yz   f 3  x, y 
y z 2
Examination of above expressions of V gives a general value of
x2 z2
V   xz  3 yz 
2 2

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 fiziks
Institute for NET/JRF, GATE, IIT-JAM, M.Sc. Entrance, JEST, TIFR and GRE in Physics

Example: Find the curl of the vector A   e  r / r  ˆ

Solution:    
A  e  r / r ˆ  Ar  0, A  e  r / r , A  0

rˆ rˆ r sin ˆ

  1    er ˆ
 A  2
 
r sin  r   r
Ar rA r sin  A

Example: Find the nature of the following fields by determining divergence and curl.

(i) F 1  30 xˆ  2 xyyˆ  5 xz 2 zˆ

 150 
(ii) F 2   2 rˆ  10ˆ (Cylindrical coordinates)
 r 
Solution:
  F F F
(i) F 1  30 xˆ  2 xyyˆ  5 xz 2 zˆ    F 1  1x  1 y  1 z  2 x 1  5 z 
x y z
Divergence exists, so the field is non-solenoidal.

xˆ yˆ zˆ
  
  F1   5 z 2 yˆ  2 yzˆ .The field has a curl so it is rotational.
x y z
30 2 xy 5 xz 2

 150 
(ii) F 2   2 rˆ  10ˆ in cylindrical coordinates.
 r 
F
In cylindrical coordinates, Divergence   F 2 
1 
rF2 r   1 2  F2 z   150
r r r  z r3
The field is non-solenoid.

rˆ rˆ zˆ
  1    10
 F2   zˆ . F 2 has non-zero curl so it is rotational.
r r  z r
 150 
 2  10r 0
 r 

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