Curvilinear Volume

Highlights of the activity

1. This small group activity is designed to introduce students to (area and) volume elements in curvilinear coordinates.
2. Students work in small groups to determine volume elements in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
3. The whole class wrap-up discussion emphasizes the use of infinitesimal reasoning.

Reasons to spend class time on the activity

• Acquaints students with infinitesimal distances in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
• Helps students visualize the geometry of infinitesimal distances in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
• Helps students compute volume elements in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
• Possible sequence with Curvilinear Coordinates, in either order.

(Similar to Surface and Volume Elements in Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates.)

Reflections

• Reflections from the original implementation.

• Reflections from "official" adapters/adopters.

• Reflections from the general public.

Instructor's Guide

• Wiki version

Student Handouts

mvdscoordhand.pdf