- #1
schroder
- 369
- 1
Recently I was working through a problem involving a force field, and came up with a question I could not answer, so I thought I would post it here. I solved the problem using a vector representation and a line integral, and although I am sure the answer is correct, I would like to solve it by a slightly different method. My question is about the method.
Here is the original problem: I have a vector field x^3 i + 3zy^2 j + -x^2y k and I am calculating the line integral along the straight line segment passing through points (3,2,1) to (0,1,0)
I set this up in terms of u : (3-3u) i + (2-u) j + (1-u) k
Now I substituted into the vector field to get:
[(3 - 3u)^3 (-3)] + [3 (1 - u) (2 – u)^2 (-1) ] + [(3 -3u)^2 (2 – u) (-1)]
This is now integrated in respect to u between the limits 0 to 1 yielding: -19.25
So far so good. Now what I would like to do is integrate the same field in terms of (x,y,z) instead of u. To do that I need to derive a path as a function of (x,y,z) from the given points. That is my question! Of course, I know how to derive the function for two points given in (x,y) by using the point-slope formula. But it has somehow escaped my memory on how to derive a three variable function from the given points.
I’m sure someone here knows how to do this. Can you help?
Here is the original problem: I have a vector field x^3 i + 3zy^2 j + -x^2y k and I am calculating the line integral along the straight line segment passing through points (3,2,1) to (0,1,0)
I set this up in terms of u : (3-3u) i + (2-u) j + (1-u) k
Now I substituted into the vector field to get:
[(3 - 3u)^3 (-3)] + [3 (1 - u) (2 – u)^2 (-1) ] + [(3 -3u)^2 (2 – u) (-1)]
This is now integrated in respect to u between the limits 0 to 1 yielding: -19.25
So far so good. Now what I would like to do is integrate the same field in terms of (x,y,z) instead of u. To do that I need to derive a path as a function of (x,y,z) from the given points. That is my question! Of course, I know how to derive the function for two points given in (x,y) by using the point-slope formula. But it has somehow escaped my memory on how to derive a three variable function from the given points.
I’m sure someone here knows how to do this. Can you help?