Surface Integral Eval: x² + y² + z² = a²

In summary: There is a button that you can click above where you type your reply that will open a window, and you can type in LaTeX there.But I think you are very confused about what you are doing. You are not using the correct formula for the surface area element in spherical coordinates. And where did you get those limits of integration from?I think you should start over. You have a surface, which has a parametric representation. You need to integrate the function z^{2} over that surface, which means you need to integrate the function z^{2} times the surface area element over the surface. So, you need to find the surface area element in terms of your parameterization, and then you
  • #1
hhhmortal
176
0

Homework Statement



Evaluate ∫∫ z² dS where S is the part of the surface of the sphere x² + y² + z² = a² with z>= 0

The Attempt at a Solution



I get:

∫∫ (a² -x² - y²) . (1 + 4a²) a. da.dθ

where dS = a. da.dθ

I think I'm making a mistake somewhere, perhaps I'm getting confused with a² and r².
Thanks.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
First let specify the angle:[tex]\phi=[/tex] angle between x-axis and the position vector [tex]\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}[/tex] on the x-y plane.
[tex]\theta=[/tex] angle from z-axis to [tex]\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}[/tex] .
[tex]|\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}|=a[/tex]

[tex]ds=r^{2}sin(\theta)d\theta d\phi[/tex]

You have to also change x,y,z into spherical coordinates before you can integrate.

[tex]x=acos(\phi)sin(\theta),y=asin(\phi)sin(\theta),z=acos(\theta)[/tex]

Double check my work, it's been a long time! But this should give you a starting point before I have to hit the books to verify what I said, and I am drowning in my own books! :frown: Bottom line you have to match the coordinates first.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
I was wrong on [tex]\theta[/tex]

[tex]\theta=[/tex] angle from z-axis to [tex]\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}[/tex].

I corrected in the original post already. Sorry!
 
  • #4
First, you need to parameterize the surface, remembering that a complete parameterization has bounds for the parameters. One parametrization is:

[tex]\vec{r}(x,y) = <x, y, \sqrt{a^{2}-x^{2}-y^{2}}>[/tex]

[tex]-a \leq x \leq a, -\sqrt{a^{2}-x^{2}} \leq y \leq \sqrt{a^{2}-x^{2}}[/tex]

Do you see how this describes the entire surface?

Next, compute dS using the definition:

[tex]dS = |\vec{r}_{x} \times \vec{r}_{y}|dA[/tex]

Once you find dS, multiply by [tex]z^{2} = a^{2}-x^{2}-y^{2}[/tex] and integrate over the region described by the bounds given in the parameterization (a circle of radius a in the xy-plane). Polar coordinates are probably best here.
 
Last edited:
  • #5
hhhmortal said:

Homework Statement



Evaluate ∫∫ z² dS where S is the part of the surface of the sphere x² + y² + z² = a² with z>= 0


The Attempt at a Solution



I get:

∫∫ (a² -x² - y²) . (1 + 4a²) a. da.dθ

where dS = a. da.dθ

I think I'm making a mistake somewhere, perhaps I'm getting confused with a² and r².
Yes, you are getting those confused. a is the radius of the sphere. r is the polar or cylindrical coordinate variable which will vary from 0 to a. You have to decide which variables you are going to use. If you want to use cylindrical coordinates you would use:

[tex] x = r\cos\theta,\ y = r\sin\theta, z^2 = a^2 - r^2[/tex]

Your surface becomes

[tex]\vec R(r,\theta) = \langle r\cos\theta, r\sin\theta,\sqrt{a^2-r^2}\rangle[/tex]

Now to get the correct dS on your surface use:

[tex]dS = |\vec R_r \times \vec R_\theta|\, drd\theta[/tex]

Try that substitution.
 
  • #6
Yep, you can do it in either one of the three coordinates, I choose spherical myself because it is most straight forward to me. the small patch of area [tex]ds=asin(\theta)d\phi X ad\theta[/tex].

Important thing is to translate everything in the equation into one type of coordinate system, you cannot mix it. So it would be either in x-y-z, r[tex]-\phi-\theta[/tex] or [tex]r-\phi-z[/tex].
 
  • #7
yungman said:
Yep, you can do it in either one of the three coordinates, I choose spherical myself because it is most straight forward to me. the small patch of area [tex]ds=asin(\theta)d\phi X ad\theta[/tex].

Although you have [itex]\phi[/itex] and [itex]\theta[/itex] reversed from the usual notation.
 
  • #8
yungman said:
First let specify the angle:[tex]\phi=[/tex] angle between x-axis and the position vector [tex]\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}[/tex] on the x-y plane.
[tex]\theta=[/tex] angle from z-axis to [tex]\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}[/tex] .
[tex]|\stackrel{\rightarrow}{r}|=a[/tex]

[tex]ds=r^{2}sin(\theta)d\theta d\phi[/tex]

You have to also change x,y,z into spherical coordinates before you can integrate.

[tex]x=acos(\phi)sin(\theta),y=asin(\phi)sin(\theta),z=acos(\theta)[/tex]

Double check my work, it's been a long time! But this should give you a starting point before I have to hit the books to verify what I said, and I am drowning in my own books! :frown: Bottom line you have to match the coordinates first.
I tried this but got no where.

∫∫ a² cos²θ . a² sinθ.dθ.dØ = a⁴∫∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ.dØ

since its a sphere so a=r

When I integrate w.r.t to θ I get -(1/3). cos³θ

from 2pi to 0 ..the terms cancel though..
 
Last edited:
  • #9
LCKurtz said:
Yes, you are getting those confused. a is the radius of the sphere. r is the polar or cylindrical coordinate variable which will vary from 0 to a. You have to decide which variables you are going to use. If you want to use cylindrical coordinates you would use:

[tex] x = r\cos\theta,\ y = r\sin\theta, z^2 = a^2 - r^2[/tex]

Your surface becomes

[tex]\vec R(r,\theta) = \langle r\cos\theta, r\sin\theta,\sqrt{a^2-r^2}\rangle[/tex]

Now to get the correct dS on your surface use:

[tex]dS = |\vec R_r \times \vec R_\theta|\, drd\theta[/tex]

Try that substitution.

I did it in terms of cylindrical coordinates, my working out is the following:

R_r = [cosθ, sin², -r(a² - r²)^-1/2 ]

R_θ = [-rsinθ, rcosθ, 0]

I got the cross product of both of them to be :

r²(a² - r²)^-1/2 . (cosθ -sinθ) + r

I then multiplied it by (a² - r²) to get the surface integral:

∫∫r².(a² - r²)^1/2.(cosθ -sinθ) + r dr.dθ

I'm going on the right lines here?
 
  • #10
hhhmortal said:
I tried this but got no where.

∫∫ a² cos²θ . a² sinθ.dθ.dØ = a⁴∫∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ.dØ

since its a sphere so a=r

When I integrate w.r.t to θ from 2pi to 0 ..the terms cancel.

You use two times integrating from 0 to pi for Ø. A lot of time you integrate half of the surface and X2 for the complete surface.

Where did you get all the symbols like ∫∫ a² cos²θ . a² sinθ.dθ.dØ = a⁴∫∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ.dØ??! I have to type with the special way to get the formula up! Like for Ø, I have to type \phi inside the tex box!
 
  • #11
yungman said:
You use two times integrating from 0 to pi for Ø. A lot of time you integrate half of the surface and X2 for the complete surface.

Where did you get all the symbols like ∫∫ a² cos²θ . a² sinθ.dθ.dØ = a⁴∫∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ.dØ??! I have to type with the special way to get the formula up! Like for Ø, I have to type \phi inside the tex box!

I get zero when I integrate w.r.t to θ since the terms cancel, hence the whole integration will equate to zero, I am doing something wrong somewhere.

lol, you can simply copy paste it from MS word or from charmap. I still haven't managed to get myself around Latex, it just seems easier.
 
  • #12
hhhmortal said:
I get zero when I integrate w.r.t to θ since the terms cancel, hence the whole integration will equate to zero, I am doing something wrong somewhere.

lol, you can simply copy paste it from MS word or from charmap. I still haven't managed to get myself around Latex, it just seems easier.

It should be the same, instead of integrating θ from 0 to pi, make it 2X integrating from 0 to pi/2. This is a symetrical problem, we can do that.

a⁴∫∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ.dØ=2(pi)a⁴∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ. Let u=cosθ

The answer I have is [tex]\frac{4\pi a^{4}}{3}[/tex]

Don't trust my answer, verify that, I am rusty on this!
 
  • #13
yungman said:
It should be the same, instead of integrating θ from 0 to pi, make it 2X integrating from 0 to pi/2. This is a symetrical problem, we can do that.

a⁴∫∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ.dØ=2(pi)a⁴∫cos²θ.sinθ.dθ. Let u=cosθ

The answer I have is [tex]\frac{4\pi a^{4}}{3}[/tex]

Don't trust my answer, verify that, I am rusty on this!

The correct answer is (2/3)(a⁴)Pi. I also got this by using the limits 0 to Pi/2 for θ as you said, and I used 0 to 2Pi for Ø. This I suppose will give me the surface integral for half the sphere. But how do I determine the limits in the first place. The question only told me to evaluate part of the surface, but didn't specify.

Thanks!
 
  • #14
hhhmortal said:
I did it in terms of cylindrical coordinates, my working out is the following:

R_r = [cosθ, sin², -r(a² - r²)^-1/2 ]

R_θ = [-rsinθ, rcosθ, 0]

I got the cross product of both of them to be :

r²(a² - r²)^-1/2 . (cosθ -sinθ) + r

I assume you meant sinθ for the second component of Rr. But when you take the cross product of Rr and Rθ you should get a vector. Then you need its magnitude to continue.
 
  • #15
hhhmortal said:
The correct answer is (2/3)(a⁴)Pi. I also got this by using the limits 0 to Pi/2 for θ as you said, and I used 0 to 2Pi for Ø. This I suppose will give me the surface integral for half the sphere. But how do I determine the limits in the first place. The question only told me to evaluate part of the surface, but didn't specify.

Thanks!

I took your answer X2 to get the whole sphere. You never gave the limit, so I assume it is the complete sphere. If you have a specific limit, then is a different story.

The question is not complete in your case! I encounter this very problem on my Bessel expansion! They just assume you know the boundary condition! If what you have is the correct answer, then they must meant half the sphere!
 
  • #16
yungman said:
I took your answer X2 to get the whole sphere. You never gave the limit, so I assume it is the complete sphere. If you have a specific limit, then is a different story.

The question is not complete in your case!

The original post specifies [itex]z\ge 0[/itex].
 
  • #17
LCKurtz said:
The original post specifies [itex]z\ge 0[/itex].

Yes, eyes getting too old! Then it is the top half of the sphere, no X2 needed.
 
  • #18
Ah! right!, thanks very much!
 
  • #19
See there is advantage of being old, I always have an excuse you young guys don't have...old and forgetful!:biggrin:
 

Related to Surface Integral Eval: x² + y² + z² = a²

1. What is a surface integral?

A surface integral is a mathematical concept used in vector calculus to calculate the area of a surface or the flux of a vector field across a surface. It is similar to a double integral in that it involves integrating a function over a two-dimensional region, but in the case of a surface integral, the region is a surface in three-dimensional space.

2. How is the surface integral of x² + y² + z² = a² evaluated?

The surface integral of x² + y² + z² = a² can be evaluated using the formula ∫∫S F(x,y,z) dS = ∫∫R F(x,y,z) √(1 + (Fx)^2 + (Fy)^2) dA, where F(x,y,z) is the function being integrated, dS is the differential of surface area, R is the projection of the surface onto the xy-plane, and dA is the differential of area in the xy-plane. In this case, F(x,y,z) = x² + y² + z² - a² and the integral is evaluated over the projected circle on the xy-plane with radius a.

3. What is the significance of x² + y² + z² = a² in surface integrals?

The equation x² + y² + z² = a² represents a sphere with radius a centered at the origin. In surface integrals, this equation is often used to represent a closed surface, meaning that the surface completely encloses a region in space. It is a useful equation for calculating the flux of a vector field across a spherical surface, as seen in the formula for the surface integral above.

4. When should surface integrals be used instead of double integrals?

Surface integrals should be used when calculating the area of a surface or the flux of a vector field across a surface. Double integrals are used to calculate the volume under a surface or the area of a two-dimensional region in the xy-plane. If the region of interest can be represented as a surface in three-dimensional space, then a surface integral should be used.

5. What are some real-world applications of surface integrals?

Surface integrals have many applications in physics and engineering, such as calculating the flux of a magnetic field through a closed surface or finding the surface area of a three-dimensional object. They are also used in fluid mechanics to calculate the flow of a fluid across a surface. In computer graphics, surface integrals are used to calculate the lighting and shading of curved surfaces in 3D models.

Similar threads

  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
3
Views
663
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
1
Views
642
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
7
Views
757
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • Calculus and Beyond Homework Help
Replies
4
Views
1K
Back
Top