Finding volume using polar coordinates

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around finding the volume of the region inside the surface defined by z = x² + y², bounded between z = 0 and z = 10. Participants explore different methods of integration, including rectangular and polar coordinates, and share their experiences with the calculations involved.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses difficulty in calculating the integral after determining the limits of integration for the volume under the paraboloid.
  • Another suggests using polar coordinates as a simpler method to calculate the volume, indicating that the volume under the paraboloid can be found by subtracting the volume of the cylinder from the volume under the paraboloid.
  • A participant believes the problem is asking for the volume under the paraboloid and mentions that their calculations match the answer provided in the textbook, questioning the need for polar coordinates.
  • One participant provides a detailed explanation of converting to polar coordinates, discussing the advantages of this approach for circular regions and presenting the integral setup in polar coordinates.
  • Another participant expresses confidence in the trigonometric substitution method, although they have not verified it.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the necessity of converting to polar coordinates, with some participants advocating for it while others believe it is unnecessary. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to calculate the integral.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various methods and approaches without resolving the complexities involved in the integration process. There are references to specific limits of integration and the relationship between the paraboloid and the cylinder, but no definitive conclusions are reached.

babbagee
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Ok the question is

find the volume of the region inside the surface z = x2 + y2 and between z = 0 and z = 10.

Ok i have already found the limits of integration but i am having a hard time calculating the integral.

The limits are [tex]-{\sqrt{10-x^2}[/tex] <= y <= [tex]{\sqrt{10-x^2}[/tex]
[tex]-{\sqrt{10}[/tex] <= x <= [tex]{\sqrt{10}[/tex]

I am integrating with respect to y first and then x.

The problem is after i integrate with respect to y i get a really hard integral which i tried soliving by trignometric substitution but i just made more complicated.

Can someone help me out please

thanks
 
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Here's a trick if you didn't manage the trig-substitution:
Volume inside parabolic=Volume of cylinder minus volume under parabolic.
The easiest way to do the last volume, is to change into polar coordinates.
 
I think they are asking for the volume under the paraboloid because i integrated once and then i entered the rest of it into the calculator and got the same answer as the back of the book. So i don't think they are asking for the volume above the paraboloid even though it sounds like it. That is what i thought at first. I don't think i need to convert into polor coordinates because the book has not gone into that much detail about converting into different coordinate systems, that is the next chapter. My limits are based on the volume under the paraboloid. I was at first thing of taking the volume under the paraboloid and subtracting it from the the cube that the paraboloid is enclosed in, its the same concept as the cylinder. But i don't think this problem wants me to do all that. Is there any way i can calculate the second integral. and by the way the answer in the back of the book as 50pi, and my calculator gave an answer of 157.0796 which is 50pi.

Thanks
 
Glad you found out.
I don't think the trig-sub is really that difficult..
(Haven't checked, though)
 
ok, this is old but still a good example of cylindrical coordinates.
The rectangular integral to solve this would be

[tex]\int_{-\sqrt{10}}^{\sqrt{10}} \int_{-\sqrt{10-x^2}}^{\sqrt{10-x^2}} (x^2+y^2) dydx}[/tex]

which if you plug into a computer solver is no problem, but unfortunately you will need another method to solve this integral by hand.
First off, why do you convert to polar coordinates here? Well if you think about the projection(or a shadow) of the paraboloid
on the xy-plane then you can see a circle with radius of [tex]{\sqrt{10}}[/tex] and what better to represent circles than polar coordinate.
If we where dealing with a function in [tex]R^2[/tex] we know that [tex]x=rcos{\theta}; y=rsin{\theta}[/tex], which is true in [tex]R^3[/tex] and we just leave [tex]z=z[/tex].
[tex]dA[/tex] will become [tex]rdrd{\theta}[/tex] (this can be explained if you think of how polar coordinates work, infinitesimally small blocks of a circle can be
thought of as a normal rectangle with sides [tex]rdr[/tex] and [tex]d{\theta}[/tex] making the area [tex]rdrd{\theta})[/tex] so [tex]dA=dxdy=rdrd{\theta}[/tex] also notice that
[tex]x^2+y^2=r^2(cos^2{\theta}+sin^2{\theta})=r^2[/tex]. We know that [tex]r[/tex] bounds are [tex]0\underline{<}r\underline{<}{\sqrt{10}}[/tex] and [tex]0\underline{<}{\theta}\underline{<}2{\pi}[/tex] so the new integral to solve is
[tex]\int_{0}^{2{\pi}} \int_{0}^{\sqrt{10}} r^2 rdrd{\theta} = \int_{0}^{2{\pi}} \int_{0}^{\sqrt{10}} r^3 drd{\theta} = \int_{0}^{2{\pi}} d{\theta} \int_{0}^{\sqrt{10}} r^3 dr = \frac{2{\pi}}{4}\sqrt{10^4} = \frac{200{\pi}}{4} = 50{\pi}[/tex]

I hope this helps anyone that may be having similar problems with this type of problem.
 

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