Chapter 13: Problem 7
Find grad \(f=\left(f_{x}, f_{y}, f_{z}\right)\) for the functions from physics. \(\ln \left(x^{2}+y^{2}\right)\) (line source along \(z\) axis)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The gradient is \( \left( \frac{2x}{x^2+y^2}, \frac{2y}{x^2+y^2}, 0 \right) \)."
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Function
The given function, a scalar field, is given by \( f(x, y, z) = \ln(x^2 + y^2) \). It is a logarithmic function representing a potential caused by a line source along the \(z\)-axis.
02
Find Partial Derivative with respect to x
Compute \(f_x\), the partial derivative of \(f\) with respect to \(x\). From \(f(x, y, z) = \ln(x^2+y^2)\), use the chain rule: \( f_x = \frac{d}{dx}[\ln(x^2+y^2)] = \frac{1}{x^2+y^2} \cdot 2x = \frac{2x}{x^2+y^2} \).
03
Find Partial Derivative with respect to y
Compute \(f_y\), the partial derivative of \(f\) with respect to \(y\). Similarly, apply the chain rule: \( f_y = \frac{d}{dy}[\ln(x^2+y^2)] = \frac{1}{x^2+y^2} \cdot 2y = \frac{2y}{x^2+y^2} \).
04
Find Partial Derivative with respect to z
Since \(f(x, y, z) = \ln(x^2 + y^2)\) doesn't involve \(z\), the partial derivative \(f_z = \frac{d}{dz}[\ln(x^2+y^2)] = 0\).
05
Construct the Gradient Vector
The gradient of the function \(f\) is given by combining all the partial derivatives: \( abla f = \left( f_x, f_y, f_z \right) = \left( \frac{2x}{x^2+y^2}, \frac{2y}{x^2+y^2}, 0 \right) \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Partial Derivative
A partial derivative represents the rate at which a function changes as one variable is altered, while keeping the others constant. When you have a multivariable function, like our function \( f(x, y, z) = \ln(x^2 + y^2) \), you can take the derivative with respect to one variable at a time. This process isolates the effect of changes in that variable alone.
- Example: The partial derivative of \( f(x, y, z) \) with respect to \( x \) is labelled as \( f_x \).
- This means differentiating \( \ln(x^2 + y^2) \) as though only \( x \) can change, not \( y \) or \( z \).
Scalar Field
In mathematics and physics, a scalar field assigns a single value to every point in space. Think of it as a landscape where each point has a particular height, temperature, or potential. The function \( f(x, y, z) = \ln(x^2 + y^2) \) is a scalar field because it returns a single scalar value for any \( (x, y, z) \).
- Interpretation: This scalar field can represent potential energy in a physical system.
- It depends only on \( x \) and \( y \), meaning it's constant along the \( z \)-axis.
Line Source
A line source is a concept from physics where the source of a field, such as an electric or fluid potential, can be thought of as being spread out along a line rather than being located at a point. In our case, the line is along the \( z \)-axis, influencing the logarithmic potential \( f(x, y, z) = \ln(x^2 + y^2) \).
- This particular form suggests that the influence diminishes as you move away from the line (line source), particularly in the \( x \) and \( y \) directions.
- Understanding this helps in visualizing how the field interacts spatially.
Chain Rule
The chain rule in calculus is a crucial tool for finding the derivative of composite functions. It explains how a change in one variable affects another when two functions are combined. In our exercise, it's used to differentiate \( \ln(x^2 + y^2) \) with respect to \( x \) and \( y \).
- Usage: First, differentiate the outer function, \( ln(u) \), with respect to \( u \) giving \( \frac{1}{u} \).
- Next, multiply by the derivative of the inner function \( u(x, y) = x^2 + y^2 \) with respect to \( x \) or \( y \).