Question Details

For a position vectorthe norm of the vector can be defined as . Given a function ,  its gradient is

Options

A

B

C

D

Correct Answer :

Solution :

The correct option is:
ϕ=rr·r

Step-by-Step Derivation:
1. We are given the position vector from the image:
r=xi^+yj^+zk^
The norm (or magnitude) of this vector is:
|r|=x2+y2+z2

2. We are given the function:
ϕ=ln|r|=lnx2+y2+z2
Using logarithmic properties, we can rewrite the square root power of 1/2 as a coefficient:
ϕ=12lnx2+y2+z2

3. The gradient of the scalar function ϕ is defined as:
ϕ=ϕxi^+ϕyj^+ϕzk^

4. Calculate the partial derivative with respect to x using the chain rule:
ϕx=12·1x2+y2+z2·xx2+y2+z2
ϕx=12·2xx2+y2+z2=xx2+y2+z2
By symmetry, the partial derivatives with respect to y and z are:
ϕy=yx2+y2+z2
ϕz=zx2+y2+z2

5. Substitute the partial derivatives back into the gradient formula:
ϕ=xx2+y2+z2i^+yx2+y2+z2j^+zx2+y2+z2k^
Combine the terms under a single common denominator:
ϕ=xi^+yj^+zk^x2+y2+z2

6. Simplify using vector notations:
The numerator is the position vector r itself:
xi^+yj^+zk^=r
The denominator is the square of the magnitude of r, which is equivalent to the dot product of r with itself:
x2+y2+z2=|r|2=r·r
Substituting these expressions gives the final result:
ϕ=rr·r

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