Griffiths Electrodynamics 4e: Problem 1.

58 Page 1 of 3

Problem 1.58
Check Stokes’ theorem for the function v = y ẑ, using the triangular surface shown in Fig. 1.51.
[Answer: a2 ]

Solution

Stokes’s theorem relates the integral of a curl over an open surface to a closed loop integral over
that surface’s boundary line. ¨ ˛
(∇ × v) · dS = v · dl
S bdy S

Let S be the positively oriented gray area enclosed by the triangle in Fig. 1.51.

Let f (x, y, z) = 2x + y + 2z and z = g(x, y) = a − x − y/2. Evaluate the left side of Stokes’s
theorem, noting that the direction of the area element is given by the right-hand corkscrew rule.
 
¨ ¨  x̂ ŷ ẑ 
 
∂ ∂

∂ 
(∇ × v) · dS =  ∂x ∂y ∂z  · (n̂ dS)

 
S S  0 0 y
¨       
∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∇f
= x̂ (y) − (0) − ŷ (y) − (0) + ẑ (0) − (0) · dS
∂y ∂z ∂x ∂z ∂x ∂y |∇f |
S
¨
h2, 1, 2i
= {x̂ [(1) − (0)] − ŷ [(0) − (0)] + ẑ [(0) − (0)]} · √ dS
22 + 12 + 2 2
S

¨
s  2  2
h2, 1, 2i ∂g ∂g
= h1, 0, 0i · √ 1+ + dA
2 + 1 2 + 22
2 ∂x ∂y
A

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Griffiths Electrodynamics 4e: Problem 1.58 Page 2 of 3

Here A is the projection of S onto the xy-plane.

As a result,
¨ ˆ a ˆ 2a−2x
s  2
h2, 1, 2i 2 1
(∇ × v) · dS = h1, 0, 0i · √ 1 + (−1) + − dy dx
0 0 2 + 1 2 + 22
2 2
S
ˆ a ˆ 2a−2x
r
2 9
= √ dy dx
0 0 9 4
ˆ aˆ 2a−2x
= dy dx
0 0
ˆ a
= (2a − 2x) dx
0
a
2

= (2ax − x )
0
2
=a .

Label each of the line segments

and parameterize them.

ha, 0, 0i → h0, 2a, 0i : l1 = ha − t, 2t, 0i, 0≤t≤a

h0, 2a, 0i → h0, 0, ai : l2 = h0, 2a − 2t, ti, 0≤t≤a

h0, 0, ai → ha, 0, 0i : l3 = ht, 0, a − ti, 0≤t≤a

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Griffiths Electrodynamics 4e: Problem 1.58 Page 3 of 3

Evaluate the right side of Stokes’s theorem.

˛ ˆ ˆ ˆ
v · dl = v · dl + v · dl + v · dl
bdy S L1 L2 L3
ˆ a ˆ a ˆ a
= v(l1 (t)) · l01 (t) dt + v(l2 (t)) · l02 (t) dt + v(l3 (t)) · l03 (t) dt
0 0 0
ˆ a ˆ a ˆ a
= h0, 0, 2ti · h−1, 2, 0i dt + h0, 0, 2a − 2ti · h0, −2, 1i dt + h0, 0, 0i · h1, 0, −1i dt
0 0 0
ˆ a ˆ a ˆ a
= (0) dt + (2a − 2t) dt + (0) dt
0 0 0
a
2

= (0) + (2at − t ) + (0)
0

= a2

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