Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Bombay

ME 673: Mathematical Methods in Engineering, Spring 2016

Assignment 4: Vector Analysis - II

Note: Vectors will be denoted by boldface letters (such as A, r, etc.).

1. The temperature in a body is given by T = x2 + xy + yz. At the point (2, 1, 4) what is the value
of the derivative of the temperature (i) in the x direction, and (ii) in the direction of the vector
i 2j + 2k? Also determine the direction in which the temperature is changing most rapidly at
the point (2, 1, 4).

2. Determine the equation of the plane which is tangent to the surface x2 + y 2 z 2 = 4 at the point
(1, 2, 1).
To do this, use the fact that the gradient vector () is perpendicular to the surface = constant.
Then a vector (x 1)i + (y 2)j + (z + 1)k in the required tangent plane is perpendicular to
() at the given point. Use this fact to obtain the equation of the tangent plane.

3. Given u = xy + yz + z sin x, determine

(a) u at (0, 1, 2).

(b) The directional derivative of u at (0, 1, 2) in the direction 2i + 2j k.
(c) The equations of the tangent plane and of the normal line to the surface u = 2 at (0, 1, 2).
(d) A unit vector in the direction of most rapid increase of u at (0, 1, 2).

4. The force acting on a charge q moving with velocity v = dr

dt in a magnetic field B is given by
F = q(v B). We can write B = A, where A is called the vector potential, and is a vector
function of x, y, z, t.

(a) Show that

dA A
= + v A.
dt t
(b) Then show that
dA A
 
F = q (v A) + .
dt t
5. Show that the work done on an object by a net force F during a displacement from A to B is
equal to the change in the kinetic energy of the object.

6. Show that the work done by a conservative force is equal to the loss in the potential energy of
the object on which the force acts.

7. Determine the work done by a force F = yi + xj + zk in moving a particle from (1, 0, 0) to

(1, 0, ) along (i) a curve given by the parametric equations x = cos t, y = sin t, z = t and (ii)
a straight line joining the points. Are the two values the same? If yes, why?

8. Apply Greens theorem in the plane with P = 0 and Q = x2 /2 to the triangle with vertices
(0, 0), (0, 3), (3, 0) to locate its centroid.

9. Evaluate (y 2 x2 ) dx + (2xy + 3) dy along the x axis from (0, 0) to ( 5, 0) and then along a
R

circular arc from ( 5, 0) to (1,2).

10. We have seen that a surface is represented using a parametric representation r(u, v) = x(u, v)i +
y(u, v)j + z(u, v)k. Setting u = x and v = y, we can represent the surface as r(x, y) = xi + yj +
z(x, y)k. Then the vectors of interest forming a tangent plane on the surface: r/u and r/v
are r/x and r/y, respectively. Show that
 "  2 #1/2
 r r  z 2 z
  
 x y  = 1 + x + .

y
Therefore, show that the area of the surface S can be calculated as
ZZ " 2 2 #1/2
z z
 
1+ + dx dy,
R x y
where R is the projection of S in the xy plane. Note the correspondence of this situation
with that described in Problem 10 of Assignment 3.

11. Evaluate S xy dS, where S is that portion of the paraboloid 2z = 4 x2 y 2 within 0 x 1

RR

and 0 y 1.
RR
dS, if u = xi + yj + zk and S is the surface area of the sphere given by
12. Evaluate S u n
2 2 2
x + y + z = 9.

dS, if F = (y 2 x2 )i + (2xy y)j + 3zk and S is the entire surface area of the
RR
13. Evaluate S F n
cylinder described using x2 + y 2 = 16, z = 3 and z = 3.

14. Determine the circulation of u = x2 i + y 2 j + z 2 k around unit circle in the xy plane, with center
at the origin.

15. Determine the circulation of u = y 2 i + xyj + z 2 k around a triangle with vertices at the origin,
(2, 2, 0) and (0, 2, 0).

16. In the Divergence theorem, use V = i to derive

ZZZ ZZ
dV =
ndS.
V S
Use this to obtain the equation of fluid statics, which says

p + G = 0,

where p is the pressure, is the density of the fluid and G is the gravity force per unit mass.
Here, start with a Free Body Diagram on an arbitrary element of fluid in static equilibrium.
The force balance involves only two forces: due to pressure and due to gravity. The pressure
force is a compressive surface force and the gravity force acts uniformly over the entire body
of the fluid element. If G = gk, i.e., the gravity force acts in the z direction, with g being
the acceleration due to gravity, obtain the familiar form
dp
= g.
dz