where ds ¼ ^ nds. The latter is a convenient short-form notation that avoids repeated writing of the normal unit vector, but it should be remembered that the normal unit vector indicates the direction of positive flow. For this reason, it is important that the positive direction of ^ n is always clearly indicated. This is done as follows (see also Section 1.5.1 and Figure 1.24):
(1) For a closed surface, the positive direction of the unit vector is always that direction that points out of the volume (see, for example, Figures 2.6 and 1.24a).
(2) For open surfaces, the defining property is the contour enclosing the surface. To define a positive direction, imagine that we travel along this contour as, for example, if we were to evaluate a line integral. Consider the example in Figure 2.7. In this case, the direction of travel is counterclockwise along the rim of the surface. According to the right-hand rule, if the fingers are directed in the direction of travel with the palm facing the interior of the surface, the thumb points in the direction of the positive unit vector (see also Figure 1.24c). This simple definition removes the ambiguity in the direction of the unit vector and, as we shall see shortly, is consistent with other properties of fields.