Name:___________________

VC.11: 3D Flow Along

Literacy
1. A 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]} comes into your hands. You
calculate curlField[1, 0, 0] and learn curlField[1, 0, 0] = {-2, 0, 1}. You stick the tail of the unit vector
 1 1 
V  , , 0 at the point {1, 0, 0} and push your finger onto V so that V spikes through the center
 2 2 
of your finger, and the tip of your finger is at {1, 0, 0}. Does the tip of your finger feel a net clockwise
or counterclockwise swirl?

 1 1 
What happens when you take V  0, , ?
 2 2

What unit vector V do you take if you want to feel the biggest possible net counterclockwise swirl at
the point {1, 0, 0}?

What unit vector V do you take if you want to feel the biggest possible net clockwise swirl at the point
{1, 0, 0}?

2. Here is a calculation of curlField[0.3, 0.9, 0.2]  V for a 3D vector field and a given unit vector V:
V={0.205092,0.489097,0.847774};
Clear[Field,x,y,z,m,n,p,curlField];

Field[x_,y_,z_]={x,-y,z}/(x +y +z );
{m[x_,y_,z_],n[x_,y_,z_],p[x_,y_,z_]}=Field[x,y,z];

curlField[x_,y_,z_]={D[p[x,y,z],y]-D[n[x,y,z],z],D[m[x,y,z],z]-D[p[x,y,z],x],D[n[x,y,z],x]-
D[m[x,y,z],y]};
curlField[0.3,0.9,0.2].V

Output = 0.869092

When you push your finger onto V so that V spikes through the center of your finger, and the tip of
your finger is at {0.3, 0.9, 0.2}, does the tip of your finger feel a net clockwise or net counterclockwise
swirl?
3. You are given a certain 3D vector field Field[x, y, z]. You calculate curlField[1, 2, 1] and show it
with a little disk plotted in the plane through {1, 2, 1} that is perpendicular to curlField[1, 2, 1]. It
turns out like this:
{0.707107,0.,-0.707107}

From this viewpoint, the disk does not block your view of any part of the vector. The question is,
which of the following plots do you expect to indicate the direction of the net flow of the given vector
field along the boundary curve of the disk?

4. Here’s a calculation of curlField[x, y, z] for a given 3D vector field:

Clear[Field,x,y,z,m,n,p,curlField];
Field[x_,y_,z_]={x ,y ,z };
{m[x_,y_,z_],n[x_,y_,z_],p[x_,y_,z_]}=Field[x,y,z];
curlField[x_,y_,z_]={D[p[x,y,z],y]-D[n[x,y,z],z],D[m[x,y,z],z]-D[p[x,y,z],x],D[n[x,y,z],x]-
D[m[x,y,z],y]}
Output = {0, 0, 0}

Is there any way to stick your finger into this vector field so that the tip of your finger feels a net
clockwise or net counterclockwise swirl? How do you know?
5. Here’s a surface shown with a selection of normal vectors with tails planted at the points at which
the normals are calculated:

Here’s the same surface shown with a selection of curlField[x, y, z] vectors for a certain 3D vector
field, Field[x, y, z], with tails planted at the same place the tails of the normal vectors are planted
above:

Here they are together:

On the basis of these two plots, which of the following plots do you expect to indicate the direction of
the net flow of the given 3D vector field along the boundary of the surface?
6. You are given a certain 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]}, and learn
that no matter what point {x, y, z} you go with, curlField[x, y, z] points in the same direction as
{0, 0, 1}. You drop some paddle wheels into the flow represented by this vector field so that the axis
of each wheel is parallel to the vector {0, 0, 1} like this: x
0.2
0.0

0.4
0.6

How do you know in advance that the flow represented 0.6

by the given vector field will make these paddle wheels rotate?
0.4

0.2

Which way will they rotate? 0.0

0.0
0.2

y 0.4

0.6
How about in the case that curlField[x, y, z] points in the same direction
as {0, 0, -1} at all points {x, y, z}?

7. You are given a certain 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]}, and learn
that no matter what point {x, y, z} you go with, curlField[x, y, z] points in the same direction as
{0, 0, 1}. You drop some paddle wheels into the flow represented by this vector field so that the axis
of each wheel is parallel to the vector {0, 1, 0} like this: 0.4
x
0.2
0.0

0.6
0.6

How do you know in advance that the flow represented 0.4

by the given vector field will not make these paddle

wheels rotate? z

0.2

0.0

0.0

0.2

y 0.4

0.6

8. Is there any way to stick your finger into the flow described by a 3D gradient field so that the tip of
your finger feels a net clockwise or net counterclockwise swirl? How do you know? (Assume no
singularities)
9. For a given 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]}, you calculate
curlField[x, y, z]. You are asked to manufacture your own choice of special functions m[x, y, z],
n[x, y, z] and p[x, y, z] so that no matter what point you go with, curlField[x, y, z] = {0, 0, positive}.
In other words, no matter what point {x, y, z} you go with, curlField[x, y, z] points in the same
direction as {0, 0, 1}. How would you align paddle wheels to be driven by the flow?

10. What is the gradient test for a 3D vector field?

11. You are given a certain 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]}, with the
extra information that it is a gradient field. Is there any way to drop a small paddle wheel into the flow
represented by this vector field and align it so that the given vector field will make the paddle rotate?
(Assume no singularities)

12. Take a surface R with boundary curve C. If you are given a 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] with the
extra property that curlField[x, y, z] is tangent to the surface R at all points {x, y, z} on the surface R,
then how do you use Stokes’s formula to tell you once and for all the net flow of Field[x, y, z] along C
is 0?
13. The curve C is parametrized by  x[t ], y[t ], z[t ]  2t 2 , 2  t 2 ,1  t 2  with 0  t  2 . This tells you
that C starts at {0, 2, 1} and ends at {8, 6, -3}. Measure the flow of the 3D vector field
Field[x, y, z] = {z, y, x} along C and interpret the result. Use hand calculation to determine whether
the net flow of Field[x, y, z] along C is in the direction of the parametrization, or against the direction
of the parametrization.

14. You plot a surface R and you get:

Then you parameterize the boundary curve of R, plot a few tangents to see the direction your
parameterization takes, and you get:

If you want to call the parametrization of the boundary curve counterclockwise in accordance with the
agreement made to understand the meaning of Stokes’s formula, then which side of the surface must
you designate as the top side?
15. A 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]} comes into your hands. You are
given two curves C1 and C2 , both parameterized to start at a given point {as , bs , cs } and end at a given
point {ae , be , ce } . You calculate curlField[x, y, z] and find that curlField[x, y, z] = {0, 0, 0} at all
points {x, y, z}. What is the relationship between the flow along curve measurements
 m[ x, y, z] dx  n[ x, y, z] dy  p[ x, y, z] dz and  m[ x, y, z] dx  n[ x, y, z] dy  p[ x, y, z] dz ?
C1 C2

Do you expect this relationship to hold up in the case that curlField[x, y, z] is not {0, 0, 0} at all points
{x, y, z}?

16. Here is the 3D electric field resulting from an electrical charge of strength q placed at {a, b, c}:
Clear[x,y,z,m,n,p,a,b,c,Field];
{m[x_,y_,z_],n[x_,y_,z_],p[x_,y_,z_]}=(q ({x,y,z}-{a,b,c}))/((x-a)^2+(y-b)^2+(z-c)^2)^(3/2)

Output =

Here is a calculation of DivField[x, y, z]:

Together[D[m[x,y,z],x]+D[n[x,y,z],y]+D[p[x,y,z],z]]

Output = 0

And here is a calculation of curlField[x, y, z]:

{D[p[x,y,z],y]-D[n[x,y,z],z],D[m[x,y,z],z]-D[p[x,y,z],x],D[n[x,y,z],x]-D[m[x,y,z],y]}

Output = {0, 0, 0}

Discuss what information you get from these two calculations.

17. Write down Stokes’s formula and say how the formula is to be interpreted.

18. If C is a closed curve in 3D, and Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]} with
curlField[x, y, z] = {0, 0, 0} at all points, then what is the flow along C measurement
 m[ x, y, z] dx  n[ x, y, z] dy  p[ x, y, z] dz ? How does Stokes’s formula help back up your answer?
C

19. A force field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]} comes into your hands. You are
required to send an object through this force field starting at a given point {as , bs , cs } and ending at a
given point {ae , be , ce } . You can send the object along any curve C you desire, provided it is
parameterized to start at {as , bs , cs } and to end at {ae , be , ce } . Naturally you want to pick the curve C
that makes the force field do as much of the work as possible. You evaluate curlField[x, y, z], and are
pleased to find that curlField[x, y, z] = {0, 0, 0} at all points {x, y, z}. Armed with this information,
you say, “What the heck, I’ll send it on a straight line segment running from {as , bs , cs } to {ae , be , ce } .”
Why are you right??

Why does picking the right curve become much more complicated if curlField[x, y, z] is not {0, 0, 0}
at all points {x, y, z}?
20. Lots of folks say that a 3D vector field Field[x, y, z] = {m[x, y, z], n[x, y, z], p[x, y, z]} represents
ideal fluid flow if divField[x, y, z] = 0 and curlField[x, y, z] = {0, 0, 0} at all points {x, y, z}. What do
these folks have in mind?

21. Give a hand calculation of curlField[x, y, z] by calculating  Field[ x, y, z ] for

Field[x, y, z] = {x, y, z}

22. Calculate  Field[ x, y, z ] for Field[x, y, z] = {x, y, z} by hand. Then interpret the result in terms
of divField[x, y, z].

23. Calculate the Laplacian f [ x, y, z]  f [ x, y, z] for f [ x, y, z]  e xCos[ y]  z 2 by hand. Then

 2 f [ x, y, z ]  2 f [ x, y, z ]  2 f [ x, y, z ]
interpret the result in terms of   and the divergence of the
 x2  y2  z2
gradient field of f [x, y, z].