ERIC Number: EJ832008
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Sep
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1051-1970
EISSN: N/A
The Curl of a Vector Field: Beyond the Formula
Burch, Kimberly Jordan; Choi, Youngna
PRIMUS, v16 n3 p275-287 Sep 2006
It has been widely acknowledged that there is some discrepancy in the teaching of vector calculus in mathematics courses and other applied fields. The curl of a vector field is one topic many students can calculate without understanding its significance. In this paper, we explain the origin of the curl after presenting the standard mathematical formulas. We investigate when and why a vector field yields an in-spot spin, also known as curl, and develop intuition to predict the sign of the curl of a vector field without calculating it. As an application of the curl, Stokes' theorem and its physical interpretation are presented with simple illustrations. (Contains 14 figures.)
Descriptors: Mathematical Formulas, Calculus, Mathematics Instruction, Mathematical Concepts, Mathematical Logic, Validity, Teaching Methods
Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A