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admbmb
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Hi,
So I'm working through a bunch of problems involving gradient vectors and derivatives to try to better understand it all, and one specific thing is giving me trouble.
I have a general function that defines a change in Temperature with respect to position (x,y). So for example, dT/dt would be the change in temperature with respect to time, which is implied to mean (dT/dx*dx/dt + dT/dy*dy/dt) by the Chain Rule. I understand this, and understand that dx/dt or dy/dt refers to the velocity (change in x & y position with respect to time).
However, it then asks for dT/ds, the change in temperature with respect to arc length.
I know that dT/ds would equate to dT/dt*dt/ds, where dt is velocity, and so dT/dt = (grad)T * v, but the answer shows that dt/ds is v / |v|, which implies that the derivative of time with respect to arc length is the unit tangent vector. I can't wrap my head around that, and I'm having a hard time seeing this either graphically or conceptually. Why is the derivative of time with respect to arc length the unit tangent vector? Thanks~
So I'm working through a bunch of problems involving gradient vectors and derivatives to try to better understand it all, and one specific thing is giving me trouble.
I have a general function that defines a change in Temperature with respect to position (x,y). So for example, dT/dt would be the change in temperature with respect to time, which is implied to mean (dT/dx*dx/dt + dT/dy*dy/dt) by the Chain Rule. I understand this, and understand that dx/dt or dy/dt refers to the velocity (change in x & y position with respect to time).
However, it then asks for dT/ds, the change in temperature with respect to arc length.
I know that dT/ds would equate to dT/dt*dt/ds, where dt is velocity, and so dT/dt = (grad)T * v, but the answer shows that dt/ds is v / |v|, which implies that the derivative of time with respect to arc length is the unit tangent vector. I can't wrap my head around that, and I'm having a hard time seeing this either graphically or conceptually. Why is the derivative of time with respect to arc length the unit tangent vector? Thanks~