Chapter 5

Vector Calculus
Lecture 1
Vector Fields
Line Integrals
1. Vector Fields: Example
Air velocity vectors that indicate the wind speed
and direction at points
 Let D be a set in R2 (a plane region). A vector
field on D is a function F that assigns to each
point (x, y) in D a two-dimensional vector F(x, y)

The best way to picture a vector

field is to draw the arrow
representing the vector F(x,y)
starting at the point (x,y)

Since F(x,y) is a two-dimensional vector, we can write it in

terms of its component functions:

F ( x, y )  P( x, y )i  Q( x, y) j  P( x, y ), Q( x, y) 
or F  Pi  Q j
 Let E be a subset of R3. A vector field on E is a function
F that assigns to each point (x, y, z) in E a unique vector
F(x, y, z) in 3D

F ( x , y , z )  P ( x , y , z ) i  Q ( x , y , z ) j  R ( x , y , z )k
 P( x, y, z ), Q( x, y, z ), R( x, y, z ) 
or F  Pi  Q j  Rk
Example: A vector field F(x,y)=-yi+xj. Describe F by sketching some
of the vectors F(x,y)

Solution
Example 2: Gravitational field
m Newton’s Law of Gravitation:
gravitational force between m and
r M is gmM
| F | 2
r
M r: distance between m & M
g : gravitational constant.

Assume: Center of M = origin in R3

Position vector of m is u=<x,y,z>. Then r=|u|.
The unit vector in this direction is –u/|u|
Gravitational force acting on m at u=<x,y,z> is
gmM
F (u )   3
u
|u|
Gradient fields
 Recall: gradient of z=f(x, y) is defined by
f ( x, y)  f x ( x, y)i  f y ( x, y) j

 Gradient of w=f(x,y,z), the gradient is

f ( x, y, z )  f x ( x, y, z)i  f y ( x, y, z ) j  f z ( x, y, z )k

 Gradient is a vector field, called gradient field

Conservative Fields
 A vector field F is called a conservative
vector field if it is the gradient of some scalar
function f : F  f
 The function f is called a potential function
for F

 Note: Not all vector fields are conservative,

but such fields do arise frequently in physics.
 Example
 Gravitational field F is conservative, because
if we define
gmM
f ( x, y , z ) 
x2  y 2  z 2
Then f ( x , y , z ) 
 gmMx  gmMy  gmMz
 2 , 2 , 2 
(x  y  z )2 2 3/2
(x  y  z )
2 2 3/2
(x  y  z )
2 2 3/2

 F ( x, y , z )
 2. Line Integrals
Line Integrals of a (real-valued) Function
Line Integrals of a Vector Field
 2.1 Line Integrals of a function
A curve C is given by parametric equations:
x  x(t ), y  y (t ), a  t  b
or by vector equation: r(t )  x(t )i  y(t ) j
z=f(x,y) is a function
defined on C
Divide [a, b] into subintervals
[ti 1 , ti ]
of equal width, i  1, 2,..., n

Let xi  x(ti ), and yi  y (ti )

Pi ( xi , yi ) divide C into
n arcs Pi 1 P i ,
i  1, 2,..., n,
with lengths s1 , s 2 ,..., s n

Choose any Pi* ( xi* , yi* )  Pi 1Pi , i  1, 2,..., n

where ( xi* , yi* )  ( x(ti* ), y(ti* ))
 n
Calculate  f ( xi* , yi* )si
i 1

Definition. If f is defined on a smooth curve C,

the line integral of f along C is the limit, if it exists:
n

 f ( x, y)ds  lim  f ( xi* , yi* )si

n 
C i 1
Evaluate Line Integrals
si | Pi 1 Pi | (xi ) 2  (yi ) 2
where xi  xi  xi 1 , yi  yi  yi 1
xi  x '(ti* )t , yi  y '(ti* )t

si | Pi 1 Pi | (xi ) 2  (yi ) 2

 [ x '(ti* )t ]2  [ y '(ti* )t ]2  [ x '(ti* )]2  [ y '(ti* )]2 t
n

 f ( x, y )ds  lim  f ( xi* , yi* )si

n 
C i 1
n
 lim  f ( x(ti* ), y (ti* )) [ x '(ti* )]2  [ y '(ti* )]2 t
n 
i 1

=Integral of g (t )  f ( x(t ), y(t )) [ x '(t )]2  [ y '(t )]2 on [a, b]

 Formula for Evaluating line Integrals

C : x  x(t ), y  y(t ), a  t  b

If z=f(x,y) is continuous, then the line

integral of f along C is defined by

 f ( x, y)ds   f ( x(t ), y(t )) [ x '(t )]  [ y '(t )] dt

2 2

C a
Example 1
Evaluate  (1  6 x 2 y )ds, where C is the upper half
C

of the unit circle x  y  1

2 2
Solution
M ( x, y )  C : x  OM cos t
y M
y  OM sin t
t
C : x  cos t , y  sin t , 0  t   x
x '(t )   sin t , y '(t )  cos t


      tdt 
2 2 2 2
(1 6 x y ) ds (1 6 cos t sin t ) sin t cos
C 0
 

  (1  6 cos 2 t sin t )dt  t 0   6 cos 2 t sin tdt
0 0


    6 cos td (cos t )    2 cos t    4
2 3
0
0
Remarks
 If C is a piecewise-smooth curve: = a union of curves C1, C2
,…, Cn so that the initial point of Ci+1 is the terminal point of
Ci . Then

 f ( x, y)ds   f ( x, y)ds   f ( x, y)ds  ...   f ( x, y)ds

C C1 C2 Cn


C

The line integral f ( x, y )ds
is called line integral with respect
to arc length.
Mass and Mass Center of a Wire

 A thin wire has the shape of a curve C.

 ( x, y ) : density at point ( x, y)  C
m    ( x, y )ds : mass of C
C

Center of mass ( x, y ), where

1 1
x   x  ( x, y )ds, y   y  ( x, y )ds
mC mC
Example
 Find the mass and center of mass of a thin wire in the shape of a
quarter-circle x2  y 2  r 2 , x  0, y  0, and  ( x, y)  x  y
Solution y
x  r cos t , y  r sin t , 0  t   / 2 r
x '  r sin t , y '  r cos t  x '2  y '2  r 2 M
 /2
t x
m   ( x  y )ds   r (cos t  sin t ) x '  y ' dt
2 2

C 0
O r
 /2
 /2
  r (cos t  sin t )rdt  r (sin t  cos t ) 0  2r 2
2

0
Center of mass:
x  r cos t , y  r sin t , 0  t   / 2
x '   r sin t , y '  r cos t  x '2  y '2  r 2
 /2
1 1
x   x( x  y )ds  2  (r cos t )r (cos t  sin t ) x '2  y '2 dt
mC 2r 0
 /2  /2
r r

2 
0
cos t (cos t  sin t )dt 
2 
0
(cos 2 t  cos t sin t )dt

 /2
r r  /2
  ((1  cos 2t ) / 2  cos t (cos t ) ') dt  (t / 2  sin 2t / 4  cos t / 2)
2

2 0
2 0

r
 (  1)
4
 /2
1 1
y   y ( x  y )ds  2  (r sin t )r (cos t  sin t ) x '2  y '2 dt  ...
mC 2r 0
Line Integrals with respect to x and y

 Line integrals of f along C with respect to x

and y are defined by
n

 f ( x, y)dx  lim  f ( x , yi )xi

* *
i
n 
C i 1
n

 f ( x, y )dy  lim  f ( xi , yi )yi

* *
n 
C i 1
Evaluation
 Line integrals of f along C with respect to x
and y are evaluated by
C : x  x(t ), y  y (t ), a  t  b
b

 f ( x, y)dx   f ( x(t ), y(t )) x '(t )dt

C a
b

 f ( x, y)dy   f ( x(t ), y(t )) y '(t )dt

C a
Remark
 It frequently happens that line integrals with
respect to x and y occur together. When this
happens, it’s customary to write

 P( x, y)dx  Q( x, y)dy   P( x, y)dx  Q( x, y)dy

C C C
Line Integrals in Space
 Let C be a smooth curve in space given by the
parametric equations
C: x  x(t ), y  y(t ), z  z(t ), a  t  b
 We define the line integral of f along C (with
respect to arc length) in a manner similar to
that for plane curves
n

 f ( x, y, z)ds  lim  f ( x , yi , zi )si

* * *
i
n 
C i 1
 Evaluating line integrals in space

 Line integrals in space can be evaluated by

C : x  x(t ), y  y (t ), z  z (t ), a  t  b
r (t )  x(t ), y (t ), z (t ) 
b


C
f ( x, y, z )ds   f ( x(t ), y(t ), z (t )) [ x '(t )]2  [ y '(t )]2  [ z '(t )]2 dt
a

 f ( x, y, z)ds   f (r(t )) | r '(t ) | dt

C a
Line integrals with respect to x, y, z

 Line integrals with respect to x, y, z can also

be defined. For example,
n

 f ( x, y, z )dz  lim  f ( xi , yi , zi ) zi

* * *
n 
C i 1
b
  f ( x(t ), y (t ), z (t )) z '(t )dt
a
Line integrals with respect to x, y, z

 Therefore, as with line integrals in the plane,

we evaluate integrals of the form

 P( x, y, z)dx  Q( x, y, z)dy  R( x, y, z)dz

C

 By expressing everything (x, y, z, dx, dy, dz) in

terms of the parameter t
 2.2 Line Integrals of Vector Fields
? Work done in moving Q
an object from P to Q C
by a force field F
along a curve C P
 Work done by a Force Field
 Problem: Find the work done in moving an object from P to Q
along a curve C by a Force Field F =<P,Q,R>

Divide C into subarcs Pi 1Pi with lengths si

Choose any Pi* ( xi* , yi* , zi* )  Pi 1P i , i  1, 2,..., n

where ( xi* , yi* , zi* )  ( x(ti* ), y(ti* ), z (ti* ))
If si is small, then Pi 1 P i  siT (ti* ),
for unit tangent vector T (ti* ) at Pi*
Work done by force F in moving
particle from Pi 1to Pi 
F ( xi* , yi* , zi* ).[siT (ti* )]  [ F ( xi* , yi* , zi* ).T (ti* )]si

 The total work done in moving the particle

along C is approximately
n

 i i i i i i )]si
[ F
i 1
( x *
, y *
, z *
).T ( x *
, y *
, z *

 where T(x,y,z) is the unit tangent vector at the

point (x,y,z) on C
Work done by Force F:
W   F ( x, y, z ).T ( x, y, z )ds  F .Tds
C C
Evaluation of work done by force F in
moving a particle along a curve C

C is given by: r(t )  x(t ), y(t ), z(t ) , at b

 It holds that T (t )  r '(t )

| r '(t ) |
 Therefore
b b
r '(t )
W   [ F (r(t )) | r '(t ) | dt   F (r(t )) r '(t )dt
a
| r '(t ) | a

 Last integral is denoted by  F dr

C
Definition of line Integral of Vector Field

 Let F be a continuous vector field defined on a

smooth curve C given by a vector function
r(t )=  x(t ), y(t ), z(t ) , a  t  b
 Definition: The line integral of F along C is

 F dr   F (r(t )) r '(t )dt   ( F T )ds

C a C
r '(t )
where T (t )  is unit tangent vector along C
| r '(t ) |
Example
Calculate  F dr
F ( x, y )  xy,3 y  2

C r (t )  11t , t , 0  t  1
4 3

r '(t )  44t 3 ,3t 2 

F (r (t ))  (11t 4 )t 3 ,3(t 3 ) 2  11t 7 ,3t 6 
F (r (t ))  r '(t )  11t 7 ,3t 6    44t 3 ,3t 2 
 (2  11)2 t10  9t 8
1 1

       
2 10 8
F dr F (r (t )) r '(t ) dt ((2 11) t 9t )dt
C 0 0

91
 4 11t  t
11
 44  1  0  45
0
Remark
 Connection between line integrals of vector fields and
line integrals of scalar fields: Let F=<P,Q,R>. Then
b

 F dr   F (r(t )) r '(t )dt

C a
b
   P, Q, R   x '(t ), y '(t ), z '(t )  dt
a
b
  [ Px '(t ) Qy '(t )  Rz '(t )]dt
a

  Pdx  Qdy  Rdz

C
Homework Chapter 5
 Section 16.1: 1, 2, 4
 Section 16.2: 2, 3, 6, 20, 34

 Section 16.3: 5, 6, 12, 16

 Deadline: Last class