EEM 2036 Engineering Mathematics III

Vector Calculus Tutorial

Directional Derivatives, Gradient, Divergent and Curl
(1)

Find the directional derivative of f at the point P in the direction from P to Q. Find
a unit vector in the direction in which f increases most rapidly at P, and find the
maximum rate of change of f at P.
(a) f ( x, y ) = x 2 e 2 y , P (2, 0), Q(3,1)
P ( / 3, / 6), Q (0, 0)
[(a) 2826 , 15 i 2 j , 80 (b)

(b) f ( x, y ) = sin(2 x y ),

(2)

15
2

1
5

( 2i + j ) ,

15
2

The surface of a lake is represented by a region R in the xy-plane such that the depth
(in meter) under the point (x, y) is h( x, y ) = 300 2 x 2 3 y 2 .
(a) In what direction should a boat at P(4,9) sail in order for the depth of the water
to decrease most rapidly?
[ 16i + 54 j ]

[ 27i 8 j ]

(b) In what direction does the depth remains the same?

(3)

The temperature (in C) at a point (x, y, z) in a metal solid is

xyz
T ( x, y, z ) =
2
1+ x + y2 + z2
(a) Find the rate of change of temperature with respect to distance at (1, 1, 1) in the
direction of the origin.
(b) Find the direction in which the temperature rises most rapidly at the point
(1, 1, 1).
(c) Find the rate at which the temperature rises moving from (1, 1, 1) in the
direction obtained in (b).
[ 83 , 13 i + j + k , 83 ]

(4)

Find the gradient of the scalar field f ( x, y, z ) = A B ( x 2 + y 2 ) where A and B are

constants. Also evaluate f at the point P = (2, 1, 0) and determine the directional
derivative of f in the direction of the vector 4i + 3 j at P.

2
[ f = 2 B ( xi + yj ), f (2,1,0 ) = 2 B (2i + j ) , f (2,1,0 ) u = 4 B ]
5

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(5)

(6)

r
r
Knowing that div F = 0 for any magnetic field F , determine whether the following
vector fields could in principle represent a magnetic field?
r
r
(a) F = 10 xi + 9 yj + 3zk
(b) F = xz 2 i 3 yj + 4 yzk
r
(c) F = xy 2 i + y 3 j 4 y 2 zk
[(a) no, (b) no, (c) yes]

Calculate 2 f where f = 2e x + 5 x 2 y + cos( yz )

[ 2 f = (f ) , the divergence of the gradient of f ]

[ 2e x + 10 y z 2 cos( yz ) y 2 cos( yz ) ]
(7)

(8)

r
r
Given r = xi + yj and r = r = x 2 + y 2 ,
r
r
(a) Show that r =
r
f (r ) r
(b) Show that f (r ) = f (r )r =
r
r
(c) Use the results in (a) and (b) to find f ( r ) if f (r ) = re 3r , and find f (r ) if
r
f (r ) = 3r 2 r and f (2) = 1 .
r
[ (1r3r )e 3r r , 34 r 4 11 ]
r
Let k be a constant, F a vector function and a scalar function in R 3 . Prove the
following identities, assuming that all derivatives involved exist and are continuous.
r
r
(a) kF = k F
r
r
r
(b) F = F + F
r
(c) F = 0
(d) ( ) = 0

( )
( )
( )

(9)

r
If V = ( x + 3 y ) i + ( y 2 z ) j + ( x + z ) k is a solenoidal vector field, find the value
r
r
of . [ V = 0 for a solenoidal field V ]
[2]

Line Integral
(10) Evaluate

f (x, y ) ds of the given function f (x, y ) along the given path C.

C

(a) f ( x, y ) = x 2 y , C is the straight line from the point (1, 2) to the point (2, 5)
(b) f ( x, y ) = x , C is the curve y = x 2 from the point (0, 0) to the point (2, 4)
[ 10712 10 , 17 1217 1 ]

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(11) Find the arc length of the curve C using direct integration of

ds .
C

(a) C is the semicircle y = 4 x

(b) C is the curve y =

from the point (2, 0) to the point ( 2 , 0)

x2
from the point (0, 0) to the point (2, 2)
2
[2,

5 + 12 ln 2 + 5 ]

r
(12) Evaluate the line integral of the given vector field F along the given path C.
r
(a) F ( x, y ) = e x i + e y j , C is the part of the ellipse x 2 + 4 y 2 = 4 joining the point
(0, 1) to the point (2, 0) in the clockwise direction.
[ e2 e ]
r
(b) F ( x, y ) = xyi + ( x y ) j , C is the triangle joining the points (1, 0), (0, 1) and
(1, 0) in the clockwise direction.
[ 1 ]
r
(13) Find the work done by the force F on an object moving along the given path.
r
(a) F ( x, y ) =

x
2

x +y

i +

y
2

x +y

j , C is the parabola y = 1 + x 2 from (1, 2) to

[0]

(1, 2).

r
(b) F ( x, y ) = (x 2 y 2 ) i + xj , C is the arc of the circle traversed clockwise from

[ 83 ]

(0, 2) to (2, 0).

r
(c) F (x, y ) = x i + yj , C consists of the line segment from (0, 1) to (0, 0), the line
segment from (0, 0) to (1, 0) and the parabola y = 1 x 2 from (1, 0) to (0, 1).

[0]
r
(14) Prove that F ( x, y , z ) = ( y 2 cos x + z 3 ) i + (2ysinx - 4) j + 3 xz 2 k is irrotational and
find its scalar potential.
[ = y 2 sin x + xz 3 4 y + C ]
r
r
r
(15) A vector field F is a central force field if F = f (r )r , where
r
r = r , and f is a scalar function. If f is differentiable, show that

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r
r = xi + yj + zk ,
r
F is irrotational.

r
x + xy 2 x 2 + 1
(16) Given F ( x, y ) =
i
j,
y2
y3
r
(a) Calculate F
r
(b) Determine any region of the plane on which F is conservative.
r
(c) Find a potential function for F
r
(d) Find the work done by F in moving a particle along the parabolic curve
y = 1 + x x 2 from (0, 1) to (1, 1).

[0, {( x, y ) R 2 y 0}, =
(17) Evaluate the line integral

xydx + x

x2
x2
1
+
+ 2 , 1]
2
2y
2 2y

y 3 dy where C is the triangle with vertices

(0, 0), (1, 0), (1, 2) by:

(i) Direct integration

(ii) Greens theorem

[2/3]
(18) Use Greens Theorem to find the work done by the force
r
F ( x, y ) = x( x + y ) i + xy 2 j in moving a particle from the origin along the x-axis to
(1, 0), then along the line segment to (0, 1), then back to the origin along the yaxis.
[ 1/12 ]

Surface Integrals
(19) Find the surface area of that portion of the sphere x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = a 2 that is above the

xy-plane and within the cylinder x 2 + y 2 = b 2 , 0 < b < a .

[ 2 a (a a 2 b 2 ) ]
(20) Express the surface integral as an iterated double integral by using a projection on
(i) the yz-plane and (ii) the xz-plane.
(a)

xy

2 3

z dS , is the first octant portion of the plane 2 x + 3 y + 4 z = 12 .

(b)

(xz + 2 y )dS ,

is the portion of the graph of y = x3 between the planes

y = 0, y = 8, z = 2, and z = 0.

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(21) Evaluate

f (x, y, z )dS

(a) f ( x, y, z ) = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 , is the part of the plane z = y + 4 that is inside the

cylinder x 2 + y 2 = 4 .
(b) f ( x, y, z ) =

[ 76 2 ]

x 2 + y 2 + 1 , is the portion of the paraboloid 2z = x 2 + y 2 that

lies inside the cylinder x 2 + y 2 = 2 y .

[5 /2]

(22) Use surface integral to find the mass of a thin funnel in the shape of a cone
z = x 2 + y 2 , 1 z 4 , if its density is ( x, y, z ) = 10 z .

[108 2 ]
r r
r
(23) Evaluate F dS if F ( x, y , z ) = xi + yj and the positive oriented surface is

(a) The portion of the plane x + y + z = 1 bounded by x = 0 , y = 0 and z = 0 .

[ 13 ]
(b) The portion of the paraboloid z = 1 x 2 y 2 bounded below by z = 0 .
[]

r
(24) Use the Divergence Theorem to find the flux of F across the surface with
r
outward orientation where F ( x, y, z ) = x 3 e y i + y 3 + sin z j + z 3 xy k , and

) (

) (

is the surface of the solid bounded by z = 4 x 2 y 2 and the xy-plane.

[Hint: Use spherical coordinates.]

(25) Use the Divergence Theorem to evaluate

r
(a) F ( x, y , z ) = xi + yj + zk ,

192
]
5

r r
F
dS .

is the surface enclosing the hemisphere

z = 9 x 2 y 2 above z = 0 .

[54]
r
(b) F ( x, y, z ) = x 2 yi + z 2 j + y 2 k , is the surface enclosing the cube centered at [0,
0, 0] bounded between z = 1 and z = 1 .
[ 12 ]

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(26) Verify Stokes' Theorem by evaluating the line integral and the double surface
integral. Assume that the surface has an upward orientation.

r
(a) F ( x, y, z ) = x 2 i + y 2 j + z 2 k ; is the portion of the cone below the plane z = 1 .
r
(b) F ( x, y, z ) = (z y ) i + (z + x ) j ( x + y ) k ; is the portion of the paraboloid
z = 9 x 2 y 2 above the xy-plane.

[0, 18 ]
(27) Use Stokes' Theorem to evaluate

r r
curl
F
dS where

r
F ( x, y, z ) = x 2 y 3 zi + sin ( xyz ) j + xyzk ,

is the portion of the cone y 2 = x 2 + z 2 that lies between the planes y = 0 and
y = 3 , oriented in the direction of the positive y-axis.

[2187 /4]

r r
(28) Use Stokes' Theorem to evaluate F dr , where
C
r
F ( x, y, z ) = x 2 zi + xy 2 j + z 2 k ,
C is the curve of intersection of the plane x + y + z = 1 and the cylinder x 2 + y 2 = 9
oriented counterclockwise as viewed from above.
[ 81 / 2 ]

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