Stokes’s theorem problem.

integrationstokes-theorem

Evaluate the surface integral $\int \int (curl F) \cdot n dA $ directly for the given F and S.

$$F = [z^2, -x^2, 0] $$ and S is the rectangle with verticies (0,0,0), (1,0,0), (0,4,4), (1,4,4)

So the formula in Stokes's theorem to find the line integral involves finding the curl of F and n which is the normal unit vector… but how do we find n here?

What is S for here? Does it help us find n?

Best Answer

As the orientation of the rectangle is not given, here I will assume clockwise orientation (as seen from top). We can first find the plane on which the rectangle lies.

We can get directional vectors of two lines from the vertices $A(0,0,0), B (1,0,0), C (1,4,4), D (0,4,4)$

$\vec{AD} = (0-0,4-0,4-0) = (0,4,4), \vec{DC} = (1-0,4-4,4-4) = (1,0,0)$

So normal vector of the plane $\vec{N} = \vec{AD} \times \vec{DC} = \begin{vmatrix} i & j & k \\ 0 & 4 & 4 \\ 1 & 0 & 0 \end {vmatrix} = \, (0,4,-4)$

And equation of the plane is $ \, z = y$.

Unit vector $n = \frac{\vec{N}}{||N||} = \frac{(0,4,-4)}{4\sqrt2} = \frac{(0,1,-1)}{\sqrt2}$, $dS = \sqrt2 dA$ (as $|n \cdot k| = \frac{1}{\sqrt2}$).

So, $\int \int (curl F) \cdot n dS = \int \int (curl F) \cdot (0,1,-1) dA$ ...(i)

$ curl F = \nabla \times F = \begin{vmatrix} i & j & k \\ \frac{\partial}{\partial x} & \frac{\partial}{\partial y} & \frac{\partial}{\partial z} \\ z^2 & -x^2 & 0\end {vmatrix} = \, (0,2z,-2x)$

Now using $z = y$ from the equation of the plane and we can integrate using (i)

$\int \int (curl F) \cdot n dS = \int_0^4 \int_0^1 (0,2y,-2x) \cdot (0,1,-1) \, dx \, dy$

$ = 2 \int_0^4 \int_0^1 (x + y) \, dx \, dy = 20$

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