Determine the flux of $u=(xz,yz,z^3)$ out of unit sphere $x^2+y^2+z^2=1$ (Verification)

62 Views Asked by At

Determine the flux of $u=(xz,yz,z^3)$ out of the unit sphere $x^2+y^2+z^2=1$

$\textbf{Solution}$: I have no idea how this solution can be wrong but apparently it is, By Stoke's theorem, instead of computing the surface integral, we may evaluate $$\iiint\limits_V(\nabla \cdot \mathbf{F}) dV = \iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1}(3z^2+2z)dV $$ Now, by symmetry, we know that $\iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1} z dV=0$ and that $\iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1} z^2 dV=\iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1} y^2 dV=\iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1} x^2 dV$ and hence that $\iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1} 3z^2 dV=\iiint\limits_{x^2+y^2+z^2\leq 1} x^2+y^2+z^2 dV=\frac{4}{3}\pi$ since $x^2+y^2+z^2=1$. Hence my answer would be $\frac{4}{3}\pi$ but the stated answer is $\frac{4}{5}\pi$. Am I correct or is the given answer incorrect?

1

There are 1 best solutions below

0
On

The answer has been given in the comments though we will elaborate and fill in some details here. We would like to compute the flux $F$, given the flow field $\textbf{u} = (xz, yz, z^3)$, through the surface of the unit sphere $1 = x^2 + y^2 + z^2$. We integrate the local flux $d F$ through a surface element $dS$ over the surface of the sphere:

$$ F = \int d F = \int_S \textbf{u} \cdot \textbf{n} dS $$

Applying Gauss' theorem we get:

$$ F = \int_S \textbf{u} \cdot \textbf{n} dS = \int_V \nabla \cdot \textbf{u} dV = \int_V 2z + 3z^2 dV $$

This integral is readily computed in spherical coordinates:

$$ F = \int_V 2r \cos \phi + 3 r^2 \cos^2 \phi dV $$ $$ = \int_V \left( 2r \cos \phi + 3 r^2 \cos^2 \phi\right) r^2 \sin \phi d \phi d \Theta dr $$

$$ = \int_V 2r^3 \cos \phi \sin \phi d \phi d \Theta dr + \int_V 3r^4 \cos^2 \phi \sin \phi d \phi d \Theta dr $$

$$ = F_1 + F_2 $$

Computing $F_1$ we find it equal to zero as you stated and mentioned in the comments:

$$ F_1 = \int_V 2r^3 \cos \phi \sin \phi d \phi d \Theta dr $$

$$ = \int_0^{2 \pi} d \Theta \int_0^1 2r^3 dr \int_0^{\pi} \cos \phi \sin \phi d \phi $$

$$ = \pi \int_0^{\pi} \cos \phi \sin \phi d \phi = \pi \int_0^{\pi} \frac{\sin 2 \phi}{2} d \phi = 0$$

Computing $F_2$ we get:

$$ F_2 = \int_V 3r^4 \cos^2 \phi \sin \phi d \phi d \Theta dr $$

$$ = \int_0^1 3r^4 dr \int_0^{2 \pi} d \Theta \int_0^{\pi} \cos^2 \phi \sin \phi d \phi $$

$$ = \frac{6}{5} \pi \int_0^{\pi} \cos^2 \sin \phi d \phi $$

$$ = -\frac{6}{5} \pi \int_0^{\pi} \cos^2 d(\cos \phi) $$

$$ = -\frac{2}{5} \pi \left[ \cos^3 \phi \right]_0^{\pi} = \frac{4}{5} \pi $$

And so:

$$ F = F_1 + F_2 = \frac{4}{5} \pi$$