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VC 4

Stokes' Theorem relates a line integral around a closed path to a surface integral over a surface bounded by that path. Specifically, it states that the line integral of a vector field a around a closed contour C is equal to the surface integral of the curl of a over any surface S whose boundary is C. Stokes' Theorem can be understood informally by considering the cancellation of internal line elements when elemental loops that make up the closed contour are combined. An extension of Stokes' Theorem relates the line integral of a scalar function U to the surface integral of the cross product of the gradient of U with the surface element.

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16 views5 pages

VC 4

Stokes' Theorem relates a line integral around a closed path to a surface integral over a surface bounded by that path. Specifically, it states that the line integral of a vector field a around a closed contour C is equal to the surface integral of the curl of a over any surface S whose boundary is C. Stokes' Theorem can be understood informally by considering the cancellation of internal line elements when elemental loops that make up the closed contour are combined. An extension of Stokes' Theorem relates the line integral of a scalar function U to the surface integral of the cross product of the gradient of U with the surface element.

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.

Stokes’ Theorem
Stokes’ Theorem relates a line integral around a closed path to a surface integral over
what is called a capping surface of the path.

Stokes’ Theorem states:


I Z
a · dl = curl a · dS (7.21)
C S

where S is any surface capping the curve C.

Why have we used dl rather than dr, where r is the position vector?
There is no good reason for this, as dl = dr. It just seems to be common usage in line
integrals!
7.5. INFORMAL PROOF 7/7

7.5 Informal proof


You will recall that in Lecture 5 that we defined curl as the circulation per unit area,
and showed that
X
a · dl = dC = (∇ × a) · dS . (7.22)
around elemental loop

Now if we add these little loops together, the internal line sections cancel out because
the dl’s are in opposite direction but the field a is not. This gives the larger surface
and the larger bounding contour as shown in Fig. 7.4.

Figure 7.4: An example of an elementary loop, and how they combine together.

For a given contour, the capping surface can be ANY surface bound by the
contour. The only requirement is that the surface element vectors point in the “general
direction” of a right-handed screw with respect to the sense of the contour integral.
See Fig. 7.5.

Back

Front
Back

Front
Figure 7.5: For a given contour, the bounding surface can be any shape. dS’s must have a positive
component in the sense of a r-h screw wrt the contour sense.
7/8 LECTURE 7. GAUSS’ AND STOKES’ THEOREMS

♣ Example of Stokes’ Theorem


In practice, (and especially in exam questions!) the bounding contour is often planar,
and the capping surface flat or hemispherical or cylindrical.

Q Vector field a = x 3 ̂ − y 3 ı̂ and C is the circle of radius R centred on the origin.


Derive
I
a · dl (7.23)
C

directly and (ii) using Stokes’ theorem where the surface is the planar surface
bounded by the contour.

A(i) Directly. On the circle of radius R

a = R3 (− sin3 θı̂ + cos3 θ̂) (7.24)

and

dl = Rdθ(− sin θı̂ + cos θ̂) (7.25)

so that:
I Z 2π
3π 4
a · dl = R4 (sin4 θ + cos4 θ)dθ = R , (7.26)
C 0 2
since
Z 2π Z 2π
4 3π
sin θdθ = cos4 θdθ = (7.27)
0 0 4

A(ii) Using Stokes’ theorem ...

ı̂ ̂ k̂
∂ ∂ ∂
curl a = ∂x ∂y ∂z = 3(x 2 + y 2 )k̂ = 3r 2 k̂ (7.28)
3 3
−y x 0

We choose area elements to be circular strips of radius r thickness dr . Then


Z Z R
3π 4
dS = 2πr dr k̂ and curl a · dS = 6π r 3 dr = R (7.29)
S 0 2
7.6. AN EXTENSION TO STOKES’ THEOREM 7/9

7.6 An Extension to Stokes’ Theorem


Just as we considered one extension to Gauss’ theorem (not really an extension, more
of a re-expression), so we will try something similar with Stoke’s Theorem.
Again let a(r) = U(r)c, where c is a constant vector. Then

curl a = Ucurl c + grad U × c) (7.30)

Again, curl c is zero. Stokes’ Theorem becomes in this case:


I Z Z
U(c · dl) = (grad U × c · dS = c · (dS × grad U) (7.31)
C S S

or, rearranging the triple scalar products and taking the constant c out of the integrals
gives
I Z
c · Udl = −c · gradU × dS . (7.32)
C S

But c is arbitrary and so


I Z
Udl = − grad U × dS (7.33)
C S

7.7 ♣ Example of extension to Stokes’ Theorem


H y
Q Derive C Udr (i) directly and (ii) using Stokes’, where d r = dρ
U = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 and the line integral is taken around C
r ρ
the circle (x − a)2 + y 2 = a2 and z = 0. α x
Note that, for no special reason, we have used dr here a
not dl.

A(i) First some preamble.


If the circle were centred at the origin, we would write dr = adθθ̂ = adθ(− sin θı̂ +
cos θ̂). For such a circle the magnitude r = |r| = a, a constant and so dr = 0.
However, in this example dr is not always in the direction of θ̂, and dr 6= 0. Could
you write down dr? If not, revise Lecture 3, where we saw that in plane polars
x = r cos θ, y = r sin θ and the general expression is

dr = dxı̂ + dy̂ = (cos θdr − r sin θdθ)ı̂ + (sin θdr + r cos θdθ)̂ (7.34)
7/10 LECTURE 7. GAUSS’ AND STOKES’ THEOREMS

To avoid having to find an expression for r in terms of θ, we will perform a


coordinate transformation by writing r = [a, 0]> + ρ. So, x = (a + ρ cos α) and
y = ρ sin α, and on the circle itself where ρ = a
r = a(1 + cos α)ı̂ + a sin α̂ , (7.35)
dr = adα(− sin αı̂ + cos α̂) , (7.36)
and, as z = 0 on the circle,
U = a2 (1 + cos α)2 + a2 sin2 α = 2a2 (1 + cos α) . (7.37)
The line integral becomes
I Z 2π
3
Udr = 2a (1 + cos α)(− sin αı̂ + cos α̂)dα = 2πa3 ̂ (7.38)
α=0

A(ii) Now using Stokes’ ...


For a planar surface covering the disc, the surface element can be written using
the new parametrization as
dS = ρ dρ dαk̂ (7.39)
Remember that U = x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = r 2 , and as z = 0 in the plane
grad U = 2(xı̂ + y̂ + z k̂) = 2(a + ρ cos α)ı̂ + 2ρ sin α̂ . (7.40)
Be careful to note that x, y are specified for any point on the disc, not on its
circular boundary!
So
ı̂ ̂ k̂
dS × gradU = 2ρ dρ dα 0 0 1 (7.41)
(a + ρ cos α) ρ sin α 0
= 2ρ[−ρ sin αı̂ + (a + ρ cos α)̂] dρ dα
R 2π R 2π
Both 0 sin αdα = 0 and 0 cos αdα = 0, so we are left with
Z Z a Z 2π
dS × gradU = 2ρa̂ dρ dα = 2πa3 ̂ (7.42)
S ρ=0 α=0

Hurrah!

Revised January 23, 2018

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