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Activity 13.12.3

Avg difficulty 2.5

In this activity, we will be explaining each of the properties from Properties of Scalar Line Integrals in the context of a new analogy. We have just purchased a plot of land that spans two mountains, Sugar Mountain and Spice Mountain. We will label the plot of land on Sugar Mountain S1S_1 and the plot of land on Spice Mountain S2S_2. Unfortunately there are two types of toxic organisms on the surface of your new land, which may explain why you paid so little for the land. Let ff be the density of the toxic fungus on your new plot of land and let gg be the density of toxic bacteria on the new plot.

  1. Explain in your own words what ∬S1f dS\iint_{S_1} f \, dS means in the above analogy and what exactly would be measured by this scalar surface integral.

  2. Explain in your own words what ∬S1(2f) dS=2∬S1f dS\displaystyle \iint_{S_1} (2 f) \, dS = 2 \iint_{S_1} f \, dS means in the new analogy. It may be helpful to describe each side of the equation separately and say why they are equal in the analogy.

  3. Explain in your own words what ∬S2(f+g) dS=∬S2f dS+∬S2g dS\displaystyle \iint_{S_2} (f+g) \, dS = \iint_{S_2} f \, dS + \iint_{S_2} g \, dS means in the new analogy. It may be helpful to describe each side of the equation separately and say why they are equal in the analogy.

  4. Explain in your own words what ∬−S2f dS=∬S2f dS\displaystyle \iint_{-S_2} f \, dS = \iint_{S_2} f \, dS means in the new analogy. It may be helpful to describe each side of the equation separately and say why they are equal in the analogy.

  5. Explain in your own words what ∬S1+S2f dS=∬S1f dS+∬S2f dS\displaystyle \iint_{S_1+S_2} f \, dS = \iint_{S_1} f \, dS + \iint_{S_2} f \, dS means in the new analogy. It may be helpful to describe each side of the equation separately and say why they are equal in the analogy.

Long, Keller & Schlicker, Active Calculus Multivariable, §13.12 Surface Integrals of Scalar Valued Functions, Activity 13.12.3

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Adapted from Active Calculus Multivariable © 2013–2026 Nicholas Long, Mitchel T. Keller, and Steven Schlicker. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Active Calculus Multivariable. Imported at revision 692c03c.