Name:___________________

VC.06: 2D Sources, Sinks, Swirls and Singularities

Literacy
1.
a) Go with Field [ x, y]  {e x Sin [ y], e x Cos [ y]} and calculate divField[x, y].

b) What does your result tell you about the net flow of Field[x, y] across the ellipse
2 2
 x  y
      1?
3  7

2.
a) Go with Field [ x, y]  {e x Cos [ y], e x Sin [ y]} and calculate rotField[x, y].

b) What does your result tell you about the net flow of Field[x, y] along the circle
x  12   y  62  49 ?

3. Given a point {x, y}, how does the sign of x tell you whether the given point {x, y} is a source or a
sink of the vector field Field [ x, y]  {x 2  Sin[ y], e x } ?
4. Is the flow of the vector field Field [ x, y]  {x 4  6 x 2 y 2  5 y 4 ,  4 x 3 y  4 xy 3 } suitable for modeling
the flow of an incompressible fluid such as water? Why or why not?

5. Here’s the rectangle R with corners at {-4, 0}, {3, 0}, {3, } and {-4, }: y

3.0

Use a 2D integral to measure the net flow of 2.5

 x2 / 2
this vector field Field [ x, y]  {xCos[ y], e y } 2 2.0

1.5
across the boundary curve C of this rectangle.
1.0

0.5
Then say why you are happy to make this measurement
x
by calculating your 2D integral instead of making this 4 3 2 1 1 2 3

measurement by calculating the path integral C   e  x / 2  y 2  dx  xCos[ y] dy

2

 

6. If you calculate divField[x, y] for the vector field Field [ x, y]  {Sin[ y 2 ]  x, e Sin[ x]  y} you get
divField[x, y] = 2. You look at this and note that divField[x, y] > 0 no matter what {x, y} is. And then
you say to yourself, “Good, this tells me that the flow of this vector field across any closed curve is
from inside to outside.” Are you right? Explain your response.
7. Here’s the rectangle R with corners at {-, -3}, {-, 2}, {, 2} and {, -3}: y

Use a 2D integral to measure the net flow of this vector field

Field [ x, y]  { y Sin[2 x], x 2  e  y } along the boundary curve C 1

of this rectangle.
x
3 2 1 1 2 3

Then say why you are happy to make this measurement by calculating
1
your 2D integral instead of making this measurement by calculating
the path integral C y Sin[2 x] dx  ( x 2  e  y ) dy 2

8. If you calculate rotField[x, y] for the vector field Field [ x, y]  {Sin[ x]  y, Cos[ y]  e 2x } you get
rotField[x, y] = 1  2e 2 x . You look at this and note that rotField[x, y] > 0 no matter what {x, y} is.
And then you say to yourself, “Good, this tells me that the flow of this vector field along any closed
curve is counterclockwise.” Are you right? Explain your response.

9. Here’s a closed curve:

2

Measure the flow of Field [ x, y]  {e x Cos[ y],  e x Sin[ y]}

across this curve. 3 2 1 1 2 3
x

2
 y

2
10. Here’s a curve: C

 x y 
Take the vector field Field [ x, y ]   2 , 2 2
1

x  y x  y 
2

You calculate the divergence and find divField[x, y] = 0. 3 2 1 1 2 3

x

When Calculus Cal saw this, he said, “Good, this tells me that 1

the net flow of Field[x, y] across this curve is 0.”

2

Tell Cal where he made his mistake and then give the correct answer to the problem.

11. Here’s a closed curve: y

 x y 
Take the vector field Field [ x, y ]   2
0.8

2
,
x  y x  y 
2 2 0.6

You calculate the divergence and find divField[x, y] = 0. 0.4

0.2

When Calculus Cal saw this, he said, “Good, this tells me that 1.0 0.5 0.5 1.0
x

the net flow of Field[x, y] across this curve is 0.” 0.2

For once, Cal is right. Why is he right?

1.5
C1

12. Here are two curves: 1.0

0.5
Given functions m[x, y] and n[x, y], what do you check to be C2

sure that C1 m[ x, y]dx  n[ x, y]dy  C2 m[ x, y]dx  n[ x, y]dy 2 1 1 2

x

without going to all the trouble to make the individual calculations? 0.5

1.0
 y

1.5
C1

13. Here are the same two curves:

1.0

Given a vector field Field [ x, y]  {m[ x, y], n[ x, y]} , what do you 0.5
C2

check to be sure that the net flow of Field[x, y] across C1 is the same x
2 1 1 2

as the net flow of Field[x, y] across C 2 without going to all the trouble
0.5

to make the individual calculations?

1.0

14.
a) Identify the points {x, y} of the vector field Field [ x, y]  { x 2  y, y  2 Sin[x]} that are
sources of new fluid.

b) Identify the points {x, y} of the vector field Field [ x, y]  { x 2  y, y  2 Sin[x]} that are sinks
for old fluid.

15. Suppose Field[x, y] is a gradient field of a function f [x, y], and calculate rotField[x, y].
Then say what the net flow of any gradient field along any closed curve is.
16. Given a vector field Field [ x, y]  {m[ x, y], n[ x, y]} with the extra property that
rotField [ x, y]  D[n[ x, y], x]  D[m[ x, y], y]  0 for every x and y,
a) explain how you know that the net flow of Field [ x, y]  {m[ x, y], n[ x, y]} along any closed
curve without loops is counterclockwise.

b) What happens in the case that rotField[x, y] < 0 for every x and y?

c) What happens in the case that rotField[x, y] = 0 for every x and y?

17. Given a vector field Field [ x, y]  {m[ x, y], n[ x, y]} with the extra property that
divField [ x, y]  D[m[ x, y], x]  D[n[ x, y], y]  0 for every x and y,
a) explain how you know that the net flow of Field [ x, y]  {m[ x, y], n[ x, y]} across any closed
curve without loops is inside to outside.

b) What happens in the case that divField[x, y] < 0 for every x and y?

c) What happens in the case that divField[x, y] = 0 for every x and y?

18. One of the big reasons that the Laplacian is a big deal is that the Laplacian is related to the gradient
field. Just what is the exact nature of the relationship between the divergence of the gradient field of
f x, y  and the Laplacian of f x, y  ?

19. Suppose you are going with a function f x, y  and you know that the Laplacian
 2 f [ x, y ]  2 f [ x, y ]
f [ x, y]    0 no matter what x and y you go with. Suppose also that f x, y 
x 2 y 2
has no singularities. Say why the net flow of gradf[x, y] across any closed curve C is 0.

20. Suppose you are going with a function f x, y  and you know that its Laplacian
 2 f [ x, y ]  2 f [ x, y ]
f [ x, y]    0 no matter what x and y you go with. Suppose also that f x, y 
x 2 y 2
has no singularities. Explain why it is impossible to find a point x0 , y0  with the property that
f x0 , y0   f x, y  for all points {x, y} near x0 , y0  but not the same as x0 , y0 .
21. What is it about each of the following plots that tells you none of the plots are functions with the
 2 f [ x, y ]  2 f [ x, y ]
extra property that f [ x, y]    0 no matter what x and y you go with?
x 2 y 2