Double Integral in Polar Coordinates

In summary: The answer should be easy to check using the sketch.The integral looks correct, the only thing wrong is the value of the cosine in the second integral.
  • #1
shards5
38
0

Homework Statement


Using polar coordinates, evaluate the integral which gives the area which lies in the first quadrant between the circles x2 + y2 = 256 and x2 - 16x + y2 = 0.

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution


Finding the intervals of integration for the polar coordinates.
From the first equation I get r2 = 256 therefore r = 16
From the second equation I get r2 - 16rcos[tex]\theta[/tex] therefore r = 16cos([tex]\theta[/tex])
Since it is the first quadrant theta will be from 0 to pi/2.
Now this is the part where I am confused about. My intuition is that I should integrate the bigger circle and then subtract the integral of the smaller circle within it so I would have something like the following.
[tex]\int^{\pi/2}_{0}\int^{16}_{0} r drd\theta - \int^{\pi/2}_{0}\int^{16cos\theta}_{8} r drd\theta[/tex].
Is this the right approach?
 
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  • #2
Sketch the region. The answer should be easy to check using the sketch.

The first integral looks fine. The second one doesn't.
 
Last edited:
  • #3
I sketched it out and for the second one I am basing my intervals of integration of r from the center of the circle to the edge of the circle.That seems to make the most sense to me, however, a similar example in my book (which has a circle shifted 2 to the right instead of 8 and has a radius of 1 instead of 8) uses the radius from 0 to 2cos[tex]\theta[/tex] and that doesn't really make sense to me. If you could explain why the radius would be from 0 to 16cos[tex]\theta[/tex] in this case (or if it isn't) then that would be really helpful as I don't have that intuitive understanding yet.
 
  • #4
Look at ordered pairs (r,θ). If r starts at 8, you will never cover the portion of the half circle that's less than 8 units from the origin.
 
  • #5
That seems to make sense since if I think of [tex]\theta[/tex] as how much an imaginary line sweeps through and radius as how long that line actually is.
So now that I have the following:
[tex]\int^{\pi/2}_{0}\int^{16}_{0} r drd\theta - \int^{\pi/2}_{0}\int^{16cos\theta}_{0} r drd\theta [/tex]
After the first integration I get.
[tex]\int^{\pi/2}_{0} r^2/2 d\theta - \int^{\pi/2}_{0} r^2/2 drd\theta [/tex]
Plugging in I get
[tex]\int^{\pi/2}_{0} 128 d\theta - \int^{\pi/2}_{0} 128cos^2\theta drd\theta [/tex]
And now I am stuck because I don't exactly remember how to integrate cos2[tex]\theta[/tex]? How do you usually integrate something like cos2[tex]\theta[/tex] again?
 
  • #6
shards5 said:
How do you usually integrate something like cos2[tex]\theta[/tex] again?

By the half-angle formula,

[tex]
\cos^2 \theta = \frac{1 + \cos(2\theta)}{2}
[/tex]

which should make the integration easier.
 
  • #7
Okay, then after integration I get the following.
128*pi/2 - [1/2[tex]\theta[/tex] + sin(2*[tex]\theta[/tex])/4]
Plugging in my values I get the following.
128*pi/2 - pi/4 - sin(pi)/4 + sin(0)/4
but this is wrong. I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
 
  • #8
You forgot the factor of 128 on the second integral.
 

Related to Double Integral in Polar Coordinates

1. What is a double integral in polar coordinates?

A double integral in polar coordinates is a mathematical concept used to calculate the area bounded by a curve in polar coordinates. It is the equivalent of a regular double integral, but in polar coordinates, which use angles and distances from the origin instead of linear x and y coordinates.

2. How is a double integral in polar coordinates different from a regular double integral?

A double integral in polar coordinates is different from a regular double integral in that it uses a different coordinate system, namely polar coordinates. This means that instead of integrating over a rectangular region in the x-y plane, the integration is done over a circular or annular region in the r-θ plane. The limits of integration and the integrand also change accordingly.

3. What is the formula for calculating a double integral in polar coordinates?

The formula for calculating a double integral in polar coordinates is: ∫∫f(r,θ) rdrdθ. This involves integrating the function f(r,θ) over the radial distance r and the angular distance θ, and then multiplying the result by the differentials of r and θ.

4. What is the purpose of using a double integral in polar coordinates?

A double integral in polar coordinates is often used to solve problems involving circular or cylindrical symmetry, such as calculating the area of a sector or the volume of a cylindrical object. It can also make certain calculations, such as finding the center of mass or moment of inertia, easier by simplifying the integrand.

5. How do you convert a regular double integral into a double integral in polar coordinates?

To convert a regular double integral into a double integral in polar coordinates, the first step is to sketch the region of integration in the x-y plane. Then, using the appropriate equations, determine the limits of integration in terms of r and θ. Finally, convert the integrand into polar coordinates by substituting x and y with their corresponding polar coordinate expressions.

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