Chapter 17 : Surface Integrals

In the previous chapter we looked at evaluating integrals of functions or vector fields where the points came from a curve in two- or three-dimensional space. We now want to extend this idea and integrate functions and vector fields where the points come from a surface in three-dimensional space. These integrals are called surface integrals.

Here is a list of the topics covered in this chapter.

Curl and Divergence – In this section we will introduce the concepts of the curl and the divergence of a vector field. We will also give two vector forms of Green’s Theorem and show how the curl can be used to identify if a three dimensional vector field is conservative field or not.

Parametric Surfaces – In this section we will take a look at the basics of representing a surface with parametric equations. We will also see how the parameterization of a surface can be used to find a normal vector for the surface (which will be very useful in a couple of sections) and how the parameterization can be used to find the surface area of a surface.

Surface Integrals – In this section we introduce the idea of a surface integral. With surface integrals we will be integrating over the surface of a solid. In other words, the variables will always be on the surface of the solid and will never come from inside the solid itself. Also, in this section we will be working with the first kind of surface integrals we’ll be looking at in this chapter : surface integrals of functions.

Surface Integrals of Vector Fields – In this section we will introduce the concept of an oriented surface and look at the second kind of surface integral we’ll be looking at : surface integrals of vector fields.

Stokes’ Theorem – In this section we will discuss Stokes’ Theorem.

Divergence Theorem – In this section we will discuss the Divergence Theorem.