University Calculus: Early Transcendentals (3rd Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321999584
ISBN 13: 978-0-32199-958-0

Chapter 15 - Section 15.3 - Path Independence, Conservative Fields, and Potential Functions - Exercises - Page 850: 27

Answer

$f(x,y) =\dfrac{x^2}{y} -\dfrac{1}{y}+C$

Work Step by Step

The vector field $F$ is conservative, so we can write as: $F =\nabla f$ $M=\dfrac{2x}{y}\\ N=\dfrac{1-x^2}{y^2} \\ P=0$ $\dfrac{\partial N}{\partial z}=\dfrac{\partial P}{\partial y}=0\\ \dfrac{\partial M}{\partial z}=\dfrac{\partial P}{\partial x}=0 \\ \dfrac{\partial N}{\partial x}=\dfrac{\partial M}{\partial y}=\dfrac{-2x}{y^2}$ So, $ \dfrac{\partial f}{\partial x}=\dfrac{2x}{y} $ or,$f(x,y,z) =\dfrac{x^2}{y} +k (y) ...(a)$ and $\dfrac{\partial f}{\partial y}=\dfrac{1-x^2}{y}=\dfrac{-x^2}{y}+\dfrac{dk}{dy}$ or, $ \dfrac{ dk}{dy}=\dfrac{1}{y^2} \\k(y) =\dfrac{-1}{y} +C .....(b)$ Now, from equations (a) and (b), we have: $f(x,y) =\dfrac{x^2}{y} -\dfrac{1}{y}+C$
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