15.3 Assess Your Understanding

Concepts and Vocabulary

Question

True or False If \(\nabla \! \ f=\mathbf{F}\) for some function \(f\) that has continuous first-order partial derivatives, then \(\mathbf{F}\) is a potential function for \(f\).

Question

Multiple Choice If \(\int_{C_{1}}(P\,dx+Q\,dy)=\int_{C_{2}}(P\,dx+Q\,dy)\) for any two piecewise-smooth curves \(C_{1}\) and \(C_{2}\) with the same end points lying entirely in a region \(R,\) then \(\int_{C}(P\,dx+Q\,dy)\) is said to be [(a) one-to-one, (b) singular, (c) independent of \(P\) and \(Q\), (d) independent of the path.]

Question

True or False The line integral \(\int_{C} \mathbf{F} \, {\cdot}\, d\mathbf{r}\), where \(C\) is a piecewise smooth curve and \(\mathbf{F}\) is a conservative vector field \(\mathbf{,}\) is independent of the path.

Question

Multiple Choice Suppose \(\mathbf{F}=\mathbf{F}(x,y)\) is a conservative vector field and \(\nabla\! \ f=\mathbf{F}\). The function \(f\) is called a(n) [(a) gradient function, (b) independent function, (c) potential function, (d) gravity function] for \(\mathbf{F}\).

Question

A piecewise-smooth curve \(C\) is ____________ if its initial point \((x_{0},y_{0})\) and its terminal point \((x_{1},y_{1})\) are the same.

Question

If \(\mathbf{F}\) is a conservative vector field on some open region \(R\), and \(C\) is a closed, piecewise-smooth curve that lies entirely in \(R\), then \(\int_{C}\mathbf{F}\,{\cdot}\, d\mathbf{r}=\) ____________.

Question

True or False An open region \(R\) is connected if there are two points \((x_{1},y_{1})\) and \((x_{2},y_{2})\) in \(R\) that can be joined by a piecewise-smooth curve \(C\) that lies entirely in \(R\).

Question

True or False The converse of the Fundamental Theorem of Line Integrals is true if the open region \(R\) is connected.

Question

True or False Let \(\mathbf{r}=\mathbf{r}(t)\), \(a\leq t\leq b\), trace out a piecewise-smooth curve \(C\). Then \(C\) is closed if there is a least one point where the curve intersects itself.

Question

True or False A parabola is a simple curve.

Question

True or False A region \(R\) is called simply connected if it is closed.

Question

Let \(\mathbf{F}=\mathbf{F}(x,y)=P(x,y)\mathbf{i}+Q(x,y)\mathbf{j }\) be a vector field, where the functions \(P\) and \(Q\) are continuous on some simply connected,

open region \(R\). Suppose \(\dfrac{\partial P}{\partial y}\) and \(\dfrac{\partial Q}{\partial x}\) are also continuous on \(R\).

Then \(\mathbf{F}(x,y)=P(x,y)\mathbf{i}+Q(x,y)\mathbf{j}\) is a conservative vector field on \(R\) if and only if ____________.

1001

Skill Building

Question

Find the line integral \(\int_{C}(e^{x}\cos y\,dx-e^{x}\sin y\,dy)\) for each curve \(C\):

  1. \(C\) consists of the line segments from \(\left( 0,\dfrac{\pi }{3} \right)\) to \(\left( 1,\dfrac{\pi }{3}\right)\) and from \(\left( 1,\dfrac{ \pi }{3}\right)\) to \((1,\pi )\).
  2. \(C\) consists of the line segment from \(\left( 0,\dfrac{\pi }{3}\right)\) to \((1,\pi )\).
  3. \(C\) consists of the line segments from \(\left( 0,\dfrac{\pi }{3} \right)\) to \(\left( 0,\dfrac{\pi }{2}\right)\) and from \(\left( 0,\dfrac{\pi }{2}\right)\) to \((1,\pi )\).

Question

Find the line integral \(\int_{C}(e^{y}\cos x\,dx+e^{y}\sin x\,dy)\) for each curve \(C\):

  1. \(C\) consists of the line segment from \((0,0)\) to \((\pi ,1)\).
  2. \(C\) consists of the line segments from \((0,0)\) to \(\left( \dfrac{\pi }{2},\dfrac{1}{2}\right)\) and from \(\left( \dfrac{\pi }{2}, \dfrac{1}{2}\right)\) to \((\pi ,1)\).
  3. \(C\) consists of the line segments from \((0,0)\) to \(( 0,1)\) and from \(( 0,1)\) to \((\pi ,1)\).

In Problems 15–20, \(\mathbf{F=F}(x,y) =P(x,y) \,\mathbf{i}+Q(x,y) \,\mathbf{j}\) is a conservative vector field since \(\mathbf{F}\) is the gradient of \(f(x,y)\). Use this fact to find \(\int_{C}[ P(x,y) dx+Q(x,y)\, dy]\), where \(C\) is any piecewise smooth curve joining the two given points.

Question

\(\int_{C} [ ( 2x-y)\, dx+(2y-x)\, dy]\) from \(( 3,-1)\) to \(( 5,4);\quad f(x,y) =x^{2}-xy+y^{2}\)

Question

\(\int_{C} [( y^{2}+2x)\, dx+2x y\,dy]\) from \(( 2,2)\) to \(( -3,8);\quad (f(x,y) =xy^{2}+x^{2}\)

Question

\(\int_{C} ( 3x^{2}y\,dx+x^{3}dy)\) from \((0,-1)\) to \(( 3,4);\quad f(x,y) =x^{3}y\)

Question

\(\int_{C} \big( 2xe^{x^{2}+y^{2}}dx+2y e^{x^{2}+y^{2}}dy\big)\) from \((0,0)\) to \((1,1); f(x,y) =e^{x^{2}+y^{2}}\)

Question

\(\int_{C} \left( \dfrac{x}{x^{2}+y^{2}}dx+\dfrac{y}{x^{2}+y^{2}}dy\right)\) from \(( 3,4)\) to \(( 5,12)\); \(f(x,y) =\ln \sqrt{x^{2}+y^{2}}\)

Question

\(\int_{C} \left( \dfrac{x}{\sqrt{x^{2}+y^{2}}}dx+\dfrac{y}{\sqrt{x^{2}+y^{2}}}dy\right)\) from \(( 0,-4)\) to \(( 3,4)\); \(f(x,y) =\sqrt{x^{2}+y^{2}}\)

In Problems 21–28, \(\mathbf{F=F}(x,y) =P(x,y) \,\mathbf{i}+Q(x,y) \,\mathbf{j}\) is a conservative vector field. Use this fact to find \(\int_{C}[ P(x,y)\, dx+Q(x,y)\, dy] ,\) where \(C\) is any piecewise smooth curve joining the two given points.

Question

\(\int_{C}( x^{3}dx+y^{3}dy)\) from \((1,1)\) to \((2,4)\)

Question

\(\int_{c}( 2x^{2}dx-4y\,dy)\) from \((-1,2)\) to \(( 2,3)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[ ( x^{2}+y^{2})\, dx+ ( 2xy+\sin y)\, dy]\) from \((0,0)\) to \(( 2,0)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[ ( x-\cos y)\, dx+x\sin y\,dy]\) from \(\left( 1,\dfrac{\pi }{2}\right)\) to \(( 2,\pi )\)

Question

\(\int_{C}( y^{2}e^{x}\,dx+2ye^{x}dy)\) from \((0,0)\) to \((\ln 2,2)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}\left[ xe^{y}dx+\dfrac{1}{2}( x^{2}-4) e^{y}dy\right]\) from \((0,0)\) to \((2,1)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}( ye^{x}\,dx+ e^{x}\,dy)\) on a closed curve \(C\)

Question

\(\int_{C}( y\cos x\,dx+\sin x\,dy)\) on a closed curve \(C\)

In Problems 29–32, \(\mathbf{F=F}(x,y) =P(x,y) \,\mathbf{i}+Q(x,y) \,\mathbf{j}\) is a conservative vector field. Find a potential function \(f\) for \(\mathbf{F}\).

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y) =(5x-2y+1) \,\mathbf{i}+( 4-2x) \,\mathbf{j}\)

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y) =( 4xy) \,\mathbf{i}+(2x^{2}+y) \,\mathbf{j}\)

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y) =( \ln y+2x) \,\mathbf{i}+\!\left( \dfrac{x}{y}\right)\, \mathbf{j}\)

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y) =(ye^{x}) \,\mathbf{i}+e^{x}\,\mathbf{j}\)

In Problems 33–36, determine whether each vector field \(\mathbf{F}\) is a conservative vector field.

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y)=x^{2}\,\mathbf{i}+y^{2}\mathbf{j}\)

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y)=xy\mathbf{i}+xy\mathbf{j}\)

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y)=xe^{y}\,\mathbf{i}+\dfrac{1}{2} x^{2}e^{y}\,\mathbf{j}\)

Question

\(\mathbf{F}(x,y)=(x^{2}+y^{2})\mathbf{i}+(2xy-\sin y)\mathbf{j}\)

In Problems 37–42:

  1. Show that the line integral \(\int_{C}(P\,dx+Q\,dy)\) is independent of the path.
  2. Find a function \(f\) so that \(\nabla\! \ f=P(x,y)\mathbf{i}+Q(x,y)\mathbf{j}\).
  3. Find \(\int_{C}(P\,dx+Q\,dy)\) for the given points.

Question

\(\int_{C}(x\,dx+y\,dy),\) where \(C\) is a piecewise-smooth curve joining the points \((1,3)\) and \((2,5)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[2xy\,dx+(x^{2}+1)\,dy],\) where \(C\) is a piecewise-smooth curve joining the points \((1,-4)\) and \((-2,3)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(x^{2}+3y)\,dx+3x\,dy],\) where \(C\) is a piecewise-smooth curve joining the points \((1,2)\) and \((-3,5)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(2x+y+1)\,dx+(x+3y+2)\,dy],\) where \(C\) is a piecewise-smooth curve joining the points \((0,0)\) and \((1,2)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(4x^{3}+20xy^{3}-3y^{4})\,dx+(30x^{2}y^{2}-12xy^{3}+5y^{4})\,dy]\) \(,\) where \(C\) is a piecewise-smooth curve joining the points \((0,0)\) and \((1,1)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(2yx^{-1})\,dx+(\ln x^{2})\,dy],\) where \(C\) is a piecewise-smooth curve in the first quadrant joining the points \((1,1)\) and \((5,5)\)

In Problems 43–54:

  1. Show that each line integral \(\int_{C}\mathbf{F}\,{\cdot}\, d\mathbf{r}=\int_{C}(P\,dx+Q\,dy)\) is independent of the path in the entire \(xy\)-plane.
  2. Find a potential function \(f\) for \(\mathbf{F}\).

Question

\(\int_{C}(3x^{2}y^{2}\,dx+2x^{3}y\,dy)\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(2x+y)\,dx+(x-2y)\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(x+3y)\,dx+3x\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(2x+y)\,dx+(2y+x)\,dy]\)

1002

Question

\(\int_{C}[(2xy-y^{2})\,dx+(x^{2}-2xy)\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[y^{2}\,dx+(2yx-e^{y})\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(x^{2}-x+y^{2})\,dx-(ye^{y}-2xy)\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(3x^{2}y+xy^{2}+e^{x})\,dx+(x^{3}+x^{2}y+\sin y)\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(y\cos x-2\sin y)\,dx-(2x\cos y-\sin x)\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(e^{x}\sin y+2y\sin x)\,dx+(e^{x}\cos y-2\cos x)\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[(2x+y\cos x)\,dx+\sin x\,dy]\)

Question

\(\int_{C}[ (\cos y-\cos x)\,dx+(e^{y}-x\sin y)\,dy]\)

Applications and Extensions

Question

Show that \(\int_{C}\left( -\dfrac{y}{x^{2}+y^{2}}\,dx+\dfrac{x}{x^{2}+y^{2}}\,dy\right)\) is independent of the path in the rectangle \(R\) whose vertices are \(\left( \dfrac{1}{a},-a\right)\), \((a,-a)\), \(\left(\dfrac{1}{a},-\dfrac{1}{a}\right)\), and \(\left( a,-\dfrac{1}{a}\right),\) \(a>1\). Find a potential function \(f\) for \(\mathbf{F}\).

Question

Given the constant vector \(\mathbf{c}\), show that \(\mathbf \nabla (\mathbf{c}\,{\cdot}\, \mathbf{r})=\mathbf{c}\), where \(\mathbf{r}=x \mathbf{i}+y\mathbf{j}+z\mathbf{k}\). Use the result to prove that \(\int_{C} \mathbf{c}\,{\cdot}\, d\mathbf{r}=0\), where \(C\) is any closed piecewise smooth curve in space.

Question

Suppose that \(\mathbf{F}(x,y)\) is a force field directed toward the origin with magnitude inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the origin. (Such “inverse square law” forces are common in nature. See Examples 4 and 5 in Section 15.1, pp. 975-976.)

  1. Show that \(\mathbf{F}\) is a conservative vector field.
  2. Find a potential function \(f\) for \(\mathbf{F}\).

Question

Suppose \(f\) and \(g\) are differentiable functions of one variable. Show that \(\int_{C}[f(x)\,dx+g(y)\,dy]=0\), where \(C\) is any circle in the \(xy\)-plane.

Challenge Problem

Question

Let \(f\) and \(g\) have continuous partial derivatives in a plane region \(R\), and let \(C\) be a piecewise-smooth curve in \(R\) going from \(A\) to \(B\). Show that \[ \int_{C}f\,{\nabla }g\,{\cdot}\, d\mathbf{r}=f(B)g(B)-f(A)g(A)-\int_{C}g\, \nabla\! \ f\,{\cdot}\, d\mathbf{r} \]