PHY 102 Introduction to Physics II

Spring Semester 2021

Lecture 3

Divergence of vector fields, its

interpretation and visualization of vector
fields
Vector function Vector function having
having large positive zero divergence
divergence
Vector function having positive
divergence
 EXERCISE
𝑛
Consider the example of a vector field 𝑨 = 𝒓
⃗ ^𝑟
 

 
Find out the divergence of the vector field, i.e.
 
=
n 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4

4r 3 0 - -
4r 3 0
 𝑛
 
𝑨 =𝒓^ 𝑟
⃗ An example of
  is
divergent field
a divergent vector field for   𝒓^
all values of ‘n’ ⃗𝑨= 2
𝑟

n 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4

4r 3 0 - -
4r 3 0
Does it imply
A is
convergent
 
 
increasing with r increasing with r field?
but negative
 Visualization of Vector field
 
A vector-valued function   can be visualized as a vector field.
At a point we plot the value of   as a vector with tail anchored
at , such as in the following figure

 
We repeat this over a set of points so that we can
realize the entire vector field
 
For example, consider the function We calculate
values of the function at a set of points, such as

𝑭 (𝟏 , 𝟎)=(0 , −1)
𝑭(𝟏,𝟏)=(1,−1)
   

 
𝑭 (𝟎 ,𝟏)=(1,0) 𝑭 (𝟏 , 𝟐)=(1 ,− 2)
 
By plotting each of these vectors anchored at the corresponding points,
we begin to see some of the structure of the vector field.
 If we continued plotting such vectors at many points, they would begin
to overlap and look quite messy. Hence, we typically scale the arrows in
vector field plots. In the example, we drew the vectors at only 40% their
actual length. By plotting this field of arrows, we see that the vector
field appears to rotate in a clockwise direction.

 Length of vectors
represent magnitude
of the vector function
(i.e field) at that point

𝑭 (𝒙 , 𝒚)=( 𝑦 ,− 𝑥)
 
𝑭 (𝒙 , 𝒚)=(𝑥 , 𝑦 )