Gradient equal to multiplying by vector?

In summary, the conversation discussed the concept of electric fields and the equations involved in calculating them. The topic of taking the negative gradient was also brought up and it was confirmed that it is true for the gradient of ##\frac{1}{|r|}##. The question was then asked about the negative gradient of 2/|r|, which was answered to be 2r-hat over |r|2. There was also a brief mention of taking a multiplicative constant out of the gradient.
  • #1
Isaac0427
Insights Author
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Hi guys!
So I have been researching the electric field, and I have come upon some interesting equations that confused me a little (all from wikipedia):
fe40e6e5030963130cd36c93ca29f634.png
,
400073dd9ef3633c03d01c35c9f6281e.png
, and
8757428f7aeb787795811caa40897baa.png
with V being the same as psi. Doing the algebra, I would get (Q/4πε0)*(r-hat/|r|2)=-∇(Q/4πε0r)-∂A/∂t. Now in the case that A does not change with time, we would get that taking the negative gradient is equal to multiplying by r-hat/|r|. Is this correct?
 
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  • #2
Yes, this is true for the gradient of ##\frac{1}{|r|}##. $$-\nabla \frac{1}{|r|} = \frac{\hat{\mathbf{r}}}{|r|^2}, \;\;\;\;\;\;\;\;r\neq0.$$
 
  • #3
MisterX said:
Yes, this is true for the gradient of 1|r|\frac{1}{|r|}.
Would the negative gradient of 2|r|\frac{2}{|r|} be 2r-hat over |r|2?
 
  • #4
Isaac0427 said:
Would the negative gradient of 2|r|\frac{2}{|r|} be 2r-hat over |r|2?
Sorry, I don't know what happened with the code. I was asking bout 2/|r|
 
  • #5
Isaac0427 said:
Would the negative gradient of 2|r|\frac{2}{|r|} be 2r-hat over |r|2?
you can always take a moltiplicative constant out of the gradient.

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Related to Gradient equal to multiplying by vector?

1. What is the concept of gradient equal to multiplying by vector?

The gradient of a function is a vector that points in the direction of the steepest increase of the function. Multiplying this gradient vector by another vector results in a scalar value, representing the rate of change of the function in the direction of the second vector.

2. How is gradient equal to multiplying by vector used in science?

In science, gradient equal to multiplying by vector is used to calculate the rate of change of a physical quantity in a particular direction. This is particularly useful in fields such as physics, engineering, and meteorology, where it is important to understand the rate of change of various variables.

3. Can you provide an example of gradient equal to multiplying by vector?

Sure, let's say we have a function f(x,y) = 2x + 3y. The gradient of this function is ∇f = [2, 3]. Now, if we want to calculate the rate of change of f in the direction of the vector [1,2], we can simply multiply the gradient by this vector: ∇f · [1, 2] = 2(1) + 3(2) = 8. This means that the rate of change of f in the direction of [1, 2] is 8.

4. What is the relationship between gradient equal to multiplying by vector and directional derivatives?

The gradient of a function is closely related to the directional derivative, which represents the rate of change of the function in a specific direction. In fact, the gradient is the vector that gives the direction and magnitude of the maximum directional derivative.

5. Are there any limitations or assumptions when using gradient equal to multiplying by vector?

One limitation of using gradient equal to multiplying by vector is that it assumes the function is differentiable at every point. If a function is not differentiable at a certain point, the gradient cannot be calculated. Additionally, the gradient assumes that the function is continuous and has a well-defined rate of change at every point.

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