Assignment Chapter 2: Solution

Problem 2-16:
a. In Cartesian coordinates:

x = r cos φ = 4 cos(2π/3) = −2
√
y = r sin φ = 4 sin(2π/3) = 2 3
z=3

b. In spherical coordinates:
p p
R = r 2 + z 2 = 42 + 32 = 5
θ = arctan(r/z) = arctan(4/3) = 53.1 (degrees)
φ = 2π/3 = 120 (degrees)

Problem 2-19:
• The cylindrical unit vectors are related to the Cartesian unit vectors by
the relations:

~ar = cos φ~ax + sin φ~ay

~aφ = − sin φ~ax + cos φ~ay
~az = ~az

Note that the cylindrical coordinate system is right-handed:

~ax ~ay ~az

= cos2 (φ) + sin2 (φ) ~az = ~az


~ar × ~aφ = cos φ sin φ 0
− sin φ cos φ 0

• The spherical unit vectors are related to the Cartesian unit vectors by the
relations:

~aR = sin θ cos φ~ax + sin θ sin φ~ay + cos θ~az

~aθ = cos θ cos φ~ax + cos θ sin φ~ay − sin θ~az
~aφ = − sin φ~ax + cos φ~ay

Note that the spherical coordinate system is right-handed:

~ax ~ay ~az

~aR × ~aθ = sin θ cos φ sin θ sin φ cos θ
cos θ cos φ cos θ sin φ − sin θ
= − sin φ cos2 (θ) + sin2 (θ) ~ax − − sin2 (θ) cos φ − cos2 (θ) cos φ ~ay

+ (sin θ cos θ sin φ cos φ − sin θ cos θ sin φ cos φ) ~az

= − sin φ~ax + cos φ~ay = ~aφ

1
 • From what preceded, it follows that:
a)a~x .a~φ = − sin φ, b)a~θ .a~y = cos θ sin φ, c)a~r × a~x = − sin φ~az
d)a~R .a~r = sin θ, e)a~y .a~R = sin θ sin φ, f )a~R .a~z = cos θ
g)a~R × a~z = − sin θa~φ h)a~θ .a~z = − sin θ i)a~z × a~θ = cos θa~φ

• For example, the detailed solution of part (g) is as follows:

~ax ~ay ~az
a~R × a~z = sin θ cos φ sin θ sin φ cos θ
0 0 1
= sin θ sin φ~ax − sin θ cos φ~ay
= − sin θ (− sin φ~ax + cos φ~ay ) = − sin θa~φ

Problem 2-20:
Part (a):
• The equation of P1 P2 is: y = 32 (x − 1) implying that along the path P1 P2 ,
dy = 23 dx.
• Consequently:
~ = [a~x xy + a~y (3x − y 2 )].(a~x dx + a~y dy)
F~ .dl
= xydx + (3x − y 2 )dy
 
3 9 2 3
= x(x − 1)dx + 3x − (x − 1) dx
2 4 2
 
3 5 13 9
= − x2 + x − dx
2 4 2 4

• Consequently:
P2 3
 
5~ =313 9
Z Z Z
~ =
F~ .dl F~ .dl
− x2 + x − dx
path 1 P1 5 4 22 4
 3
3 5 3 13 2 9
= − x + x − x = · · · = −10
2 12 4 4 5

Part (b):
~ = dy~ay implying that:
• Along path P1 A, x = 5 and dl
~ = (3x − y 2 )dy = (15 − y 2 )dy
F~ .dl
Z A Z 3
⇒ ~ ~
F .dl = (15 − y 2 )dy = · · · = 18
P1 6

~ = dx~ax implying that:

• Along path AP2 , y = 3 and dl
~ = xydx = 3xdx
F~ .dl
Z P2 Z 3
⇒ ~ =
F~ .dl 3xdx = · · · = −24
A 5

2
 • Finally, along the path P1 AP2 :
Z
~ = 18 − 24 = −6
F~ .dl
path 2

• Note that: Z Z
~ 6=
F~ .dl ~
F~ .dl
path 1 path 2

implying that the vector field F~ is not conservative.

Problem 2-21: Z P2 Z P2
E. ~ =
~ dl (ydx + xdy)
P1 P1

a. Along the parabola, x = 2y 2 implying that dx = 4ydy. Consequently:

Z P2 Z 2
E. ~ =
~ dl (4y 2 dy + 2y 2 dy) = 14
P1 1

b. Along the straight line, x = 6y − 4 implying that dx = 6dy. Consequently:

Z P2 Z 2
E. ~ =
~ dl (6ydy + (6y − 4)dy) = 14
P1 1

Note that equal line integrals along two specific paths do not necessarily imply
a conservative field.

Problem 2-23:
Part (a):
• The divergence of the scalar field V is given by:
π π  π  π π  π  π  π 
∇V = cos x sin y e−z a~x + sin x cos y e−z a~y −sin x sin y e−z a~z
2 2 3 3 2 3 2 3

• At point P , x = 1, y = 2 and z = 3:
√ !
π 3
(∇V )P = − a~y + a~z e−3 = −(0.026a~y + 0.043a~z )
6 2

Part (b):
• The unit vector along the direction P O can be determined from:
−−
→
P O = −a~x − 2a~y − 3a~z
−−
→
PO 1
⇒ ~aP O = = − √ (a~x + 2a~y + 3a~z )
PO 14

3
 • Therefore, the rate of increase of V along P O is:
√ !
1 π 3
(∇V )P .~aP O = √ +3 e−3 = 0.0485
14 3 2

Problem 2-24:
• On the surface of the sphere, R = 5 implying that:
~ = (R2 sin θdθdφ)a~R = (25 sin θdθdφ)a~R
ds

• Consequently:
I Z 2π Z π
~
(a~R 3 sin θ).ds = (a~R 3 sin θ).(a~R 25 sin θdθdφ)
s 0 0
Z 2π Z π
= 75 sin2 θdθdφ = 75π 2
0 0

Problem 2-27:
• Apply the divergence theorem:
I Z
R. ~ =
~ ds ~
(∇.R)dv
S V

where:
~ = Ra~R
R
~ = 1 ∂(R2 sin θ.R) 1 ∂(R3 )
⇒ ∇.R = 2 =3
R2 sin θ ∂R R ∂R
• Finally:
1 ~ =1 1
I Z Z
~ ds
R. ~
(∇.R)dv = 3dv = V
3 S 3 V 3 V
R
where V = V
dv is the volume of the region enclosed by the surface S.

Problem 2-32:
Part (a):
• On the outer sphere R = 2, ~an = ~aR implying that:
 2 
~ ~ cos (φ)
a~R . R2 sin θdθdφa~R


D.ds =
R3
cos2 (φ) 1
= sin θdθdφ = cos2 (φ) sin θdθdφ
R 2
Consequently:
2π π
~ =1
Z Z Z
~ ds
D. cos2 φdφ sin θdθ = π
outer 2 0 0

4
 • On the inner sphere R = 1, ~an = −~aR implying that:
 2 
~ = cos (φ) a~R . −R2 sin θdθdφa~R
~ ds


D. 3
R
cos2 (φ)
=− sin θdθdφ = − cos2 (φ) sin θdθdφ
R
Consequently:
Z Z 2π Z π
D. ~ =−
~ ds 2
cos φdφ sin θdθ = −2π
inner 0 0

~ = π − 2π = −π.
~ ds
H
• Finally: S D.
Part (b):
• The divergence of D~ is given by:

cos2 (φ) cos2 (φ) ∂ cos2 (φ)

   
~ 1 ∂ 2 1
∇.D = 2 R sin θ. = = −
R sin θ ∂R R3 R2 ∂R R R4

• Consequently:
2π π 2
cos2 (φ)
Z Z Z  Z 
~
∇.Ddv = − R2 sin θdRdθdφ
v 0 0 1 R4
Z 2π Z π Z 2   2
1 1
=− cos2 (φ)dφ sin θdθ dR = −(π)(2) − = −π
0 0 1 R2 R 1

Note that the divergence theorem is verified.

Problem 2-34:

Part (a):
~ is given by:
~ dl
• A.
~ = (a~x 3x2 y 3 − a~y x3 y 2 )(a~x dx + a~y dy) = 3x2 y 3 dx − x3 y 2 dy
~ dl
A.

• Along path (1), y = x and dy = dx implying that:

Z Z 2
A. ~ =
~ dl 2x5 dx = 21
1 1

5
 • Along path (2), x = 2 and dx = 0 implying that:
Z Z 1
A. ~ =
~ dl (−23 y 2 )dy = 56/3
2 2

• Along path (3), y = 1 and dy = 0 implying that:

Z Z 1
A. ~ =
~ dl 3x2 dx = −7
3 2

• Finally: I
~ = 21 + 56/3 − 7 = 98/3
~ dl
A.

Part (b):
~ is given by:
• The curl of A

~ax ~ay ~az

~= ∂ ∂ ∂
= ~az −3x2 y 2 − 9x2 y 2 = −a~z 12x2 y 2


∇×A ∂x ∂y ∂z
2 3 3 2
3x y −x y 0

• Following the right hand rule, the normal to the triangle is ~an = −~az
implying that:
Z Z
~ ds
(∇ × A). ~ = (−a~z 12x2 y 2 )(−a~z dxdy)
S S
Z 2Z x Z 2  3 x
y
= 12 x2 y 2 dydx = 12 x2 dx
1 1 1 3 1
Z 2
=4 x2 (x3 − 1)dx = 98/3
1

Part (c):

• ∇×A ~ 6= 0 implying that A ~ can not be written as: A

~ = ∇V where V is
a scalar (identity 1 in lecture 3).

Problem 2-36:
• We first evaluate the line integral. Over the circle enclosing the hemi-
sphere, R = b and θ = π/2 implying that:
I I
A. ~ =
~ dl (~aφ sin(φ/2)) (R sin θdφ~aφ )
C C
Z 2π
= b sin(π/2) sin(φ/2)dφ = 4b
0

6
 ~ is given by:
• The curl of A

~aR R~aθ R sin θ~aφ

~= 1 ∂ ∂ ∂
∇×A ∂R ∂θ ∂φ
R2 sin θ
AR RAθ R sin θAφ
~aR R~aθ R sin θ~aφ
1 ∂ ∂ ∂
= 2 ∂R ∂θ ∂φ
R sin θ
0 0 R sin θ sin(φ/2)
1
= 2 [R cos θ sin(φ/2)~aR − R~aθ (sin θ sin(φ/2))]
R sin θ
1
= sin(φ/2) [cos θ~aR − ~aθ sin θ]
R sin θ

• On the hemisphere R = b and ~an = ~aR implying that:

~ ds
(∇ × A). ~ = (∇ × A).(R
~ 2
sin θdθdφ~aR )
= R sin(φ/2) cos θ = b sin(φ/2) cos θ
Z Z 2π Z π/2
⇒ ~ ~
(∇ × A).ds = b sin(φ/2) cos θdθdφ
S 0 0
Z 2π Z π/2
=b sin(φ/2)dφ cos θdθ = b(4)(1) = 4b
0 0

• Note that Stokes’s theorem is verified.