Applied Physics

Balochistan University of Engineering and Technology

Khuzdar
Handout 3
1.3) Gradient of Scalar Field
1.4) Divergence and Curl of Vector Field
Scalar Field
• A scalar field associates a scalar value (a single number) with every
point in space.
• Examples of scalar fields include temperature distribution, pressure
distribution, and concentration of a substance in a fluid.
• Scalar fields are described by functions of multiple variables. For
example, a temperature field T(x, y, z) assigns a temperature to every
point (x, y, z) in space.
Vector Field
• A vector field associates a vector value with every point in space.
• Examples of vector fields include velocity field, electric field, and
gravitational field.
• Vector fields are described by vector functions of multiple variables.
For example, a velocity field v(x, y, z) assigns a velocity vector to
every point (x, y, z) in space.
Del Operator (∇)
• The del operator is a vector differential operator commonly used in
vector calculus. It's represented by ∇ and is defined as:

• This operator acts on scalar and vector fields.

• The del operator helps us do math to understand how things change in
this space.
Gradient of a Scalar Field
• The gradient of a scalar field represents the rate of change of that field with respect
to spatial position.
• It is a vector field formed by taking the gradient of a scalar function, where each
component of the vector represents the rate of change of the scalar field with
respect to each spatial coordinate.
• The gradient of a scalar field provides information about how the scalar quantity
varies across space, including the direction and magnitude of its changes.
• For example, if you have a temperature distribution across space, the gradient of
temperature at a certain point would indicate the direction of the fastest increase in
temperature from that point and the rate at which temperature changes in that
direction.
Gradient of Scalar Field
Divergence of Vector Field
• The divergence of a vector field is a measure of the extent to which the
vector field behaves like a source or sink at a given point in space. In
other words, it tells us whether the vectors in the field are spreading
out or converging at that point.
• Mathematically, the divergence of a vector field F in three-
dimensional space is denoted by ∇⋅F and is defined as the scalar
product of the del operator (∇) with the vector field F.
Applications of Divergence
• Understanding fluid flow patterns, like air or water flow.
• Analyzing electric or magnetic fields in electromagnetism.
• Studying heat flow and other phenomena in engineering and physics.
Curl of a Vector Field
• The curl of a vector field is a mathematical operation that describes the
rotation or circulation of a vector field at a given point in space. It tells
us how much the vector field "curls" or "circulates" around a point.
• Mathematically, for a vector field F in three-dimensional space,
denoted by ∇×F, the curl is calculated as the cross product of the del
operator (∇) and the vector field F. It is expressed as:
Physical Meaning of Curl