Double integration and polar coordinates

In summary: I've got. maybe the book is wrong?In summary, the conversation discusses how to find the area inside two circles using double integration in polar coordinates. The problem is worded strangely, but the area inside the circles can be found by finding the area of the larger circle and subtracting the area of the smaller circle. The correct limits for the integral are from 0 to 1 for r and from pi/6 to 5pi/6 for theta. The resulting integral should give the answer of (4pi-3sqrt(3))/6.
  • #1
hotcommodity
436
0
[SOLVED] Double integration and polar coordinates

Homework Statement



Find the area inside both circles r = 1, and [tex] r = 2 sin \theta [/tex] by double integration in polar coordinates.


Homework Equations



None


The Attempt at a Solution



The way the problem is worded sounds a bit strange, but I believe they're asking me to find the area of a circle with radius [tex] r = 2 sin \theta [/tex] minus the area or the circle with radius r = 1. I think my main problem is the way I'm setting up the double integral. When I graphed the circle with radius [tex] r = 2 sin \theta [/tex] on my calculator, it didnt look anything like a circle. I graphed [tex] y = \sqrt{4sin^2 \theta - 4sin^2 \theta cos^2 \theta} [/tex]. Maybe I'm graphing it wrong but here's how I set up the integral:

[tex] \int^{2 \pi}_{0} \int^{2 sin \theta}_{1} r dr d \theta [/tex]

Any help is appreciated.
 
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  • #2
r=2*sin(theta) is a circle. y=r*sin(theta). So the equation becomes r=2*y/r or r^2=2y or x^2+y^2=2y. You'll need to intersect that circle with the r=1 circle before you can find the integration limits for theta. And I think what you want to do is find the area in the intersection of the two circles and use that to deduce the area of the region you want.
 
  • #3
I see, let me give that a try. Thank you for the quick response =)
 
  • #4
I understand how you arrived at [tex] x^2 + y^2 = 2y [/tex], but I'm having trouble getting y alone so that I can see what the circle looks like. This is what I've done:

[tex] x^2 + y^2 = 2y [/tex]

[tex] -y^2 + 2y = x^2[/tex]

[tex] - (y^2 - 2y) = x^2 [/tex]

I could complete the square here, but I would have to take the square root of a negative value...
 
  • #5
You should have pushed ahead and completed the square. x^2+y^2=2y -> x^2+y^2-2y=0 -> x^2+y^2-2y+1=1. No negative problems so far...
 
  • #6
Dick said:
You should have pushed ahead and completed the square. x^2+y^2=2y -> x^2+y^2-2y=0 -> x^2+y^2-2y+1=1. No negative problems so far...

I'm still pretty confused about the whole thing, I know there's a key concept I must be missing. I looked at some tutorials, and they set the "r" equations equal to find the angles of intersection. When I did this for the above problem, I found that I have to integrate from [tex] \frac{\pi}{6} [/tex] to [tex] \frac{5 \pi}{6} [/tex], so I'd have the integral:

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} \int^{1}_{0} r dr d \theta [/tex]

I get something close to the answer, which is 1.24, but not the answer exactly.
 
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  • #7
your limits for r are wrong, r goes from [tex][1,2sin\theta] or [2sin\theta,1][/tex], so just plug in some [tex]\theta \in [\frac{\pi}{6},\frac{5\pi}{6}][/tex] and determine which limits are correct and do the integration.
 
  • #8
bob1182006 said:
your limits for r are wrong, r goes from [tex][1,2sin\theta] or [2sin\theta,1][/tex], so just plug in some [tex]\theta \in [\frac{\pi}{6},\frac{5\pi}{6}][/tex] and determine which limits are correct and do the integration.

I tried that but I can't seem to get the correct answer, I'd have:

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} \int^{2sin \theta}_{1} r dr d \theta [/tex]

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} \frac{r^2}{2} |^{2sin \theta}_{1} d \theta [/tex]

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} 2sin^2 \theta - \frac{1}{2} d \theta [/tex]

[tex] 2 \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} sin^2 \theta - \frac{1}{4} d \theta [/tex]

[tex] 2[ \frac{\theta}{2} - \frac{sin 2 \theta}{4} - \frac{\theta}{4}]^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}}[/tex]

[tex] \frac{1}{2} [ \theta - sin2 \theta ]^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} = 1.91 [/tex]

When you graph the two circles, they overlap from r = 0 to r = 1.
 
  • #9
o nvm thought the problem meant area of 2sintheta minus the r=1 portion.

So r does go from 0 to 1, what answer does the book give? it could just be wrong because that integral seems right.
 
  • #10
bob1182006 said:
o nvm thought the problem meant area of 2sintheta minus the r=1 portion.

So r does go from 0 to 1, what answer does the book give? it could just be wrong because that integral seems right.

The book gives the answer [tex] \frac{4 \pi - 3 \sqrt{3}}{6} [/tex].
 
  • #11
This integral gives me the correct answer(or the books answer anyways), but it doesn't make sense to me because it's not symmetrical:

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} \int^{1}_{0} r dr d \theta + \int^{\frac{\pi}{6}}_{0} \int^{2sin \theta}_{0} r dr d \theta [/tex]

I tried to add in the area cut off by the degree limits, that's why the second integral goes from zero to pi over 6. For it to be symmetrical however, I should have been able to place a 2 in front of the second integral to get the area cut off by the 5 pi over 6 limit. But the integral above gives me the same answer as the books, it just doesn't make any sense.
 
  • #12
the problem is just worded wierdly ><

The area inside both r=1 AND r=2sin(theta) will just be the area inside of 2sin(theta) since 2sin(theta) is inside of r=1.

Your limits are correct for theta, but for r you want to integrate r in [0,2sin(theta)] and you should get the answer from the book, I did.
 
  • #13
If I understand you correctly, I should have:

[tex]\int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}}} \int^{2sin \theta}_{0} r dr d \theta [/tex]

But that gives me 2.96 for an answer.
 
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  • #14
don't do it numerically just give the exact answer, you should get something like [tex]\frac{4\pi}{6}-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}[/tex] which simplifies to the answer from the book.
 
  • #15
bob1182006 said:
don't do it numerically just give the exact answer, you should get something like [tex]\frac{4\pi}{6}-\frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}[/tex] which simplifies to the answer from the book.

Numerically the answer that the book has is 1.2284, which is nowhere near 2.96.
 
  • #16
yea and that answer (4pi-3sqrt(3))/6 is 1.2284

I think you might be doing the integral wrong since I just did it again and got the same answer using the integral you have in post #13
 
  • #17
bob1182006 said:
yea and that answer (4pi-3sqrt(3))/6 is 1.2284

I think you might be doing the integral wrong since I just did it again and got the same answer using the integral you have in post #13

OK, let's see...I'd have:

[tex]\int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}}} \int^{2sin \theta}_{0} r dr d \theta [/tex]

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}}} \frac{r^2}{2} |^{2sin \theta}_{0} d \theta [/tex]

[tex] 2 \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}}} sin^2 \theta d \theta [/tex]

[tex] 2 \left[\frac{\theta}{2} - \frac{sin2 \theta}{4} \right]^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}}} = 2[ 1.53 - 0.0453] = 2.96[/tex]

If I'm evaluating the integral wrong, I have no idea how.

Edit: Also, the bounds for r here don't really represent the area that's being overlapped. If you have a graphing calculator, put the graph in polar coordinates and I think you'll see what I mean. The area that overlaps is from r = 0 to r =1.
 
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  • #18
>< missed a - sign.
did the book really say 4pi/6 - ? not +? I am getting + and doing it using the symmetry of the circle:
[tex]2\int_\frac{\pi}{6}^\frac{\pi}{2}d\theta \int_0^{2sin\theta}r dr[/tex]

since pi/6 to pi/2 is the same area as pi/2 to 5pi/6.

and the final answer I get is [tex]\frac{4\pi+3\sqrt{3}}{6}[/tex]

I think the book just had a typo at this problem..
 
  • #19
It's definitely a minus sign. I just reworked the integral you posted with the difference in radian limits, and I still get 2.96. I have no clue how you're getting your answer =/
 
  • #20
2.96=what I got just mine still has the pi in it.

well it's really easy to say - instead of +, if it wasn't a typo then probably the problem is just worded incorrectly and they wanted something else...
 
  • #21
Could be, I'll find out tomorrow. Thanks for trying to help me out =)
 
  • #22
hotcommodity said:
This integral gives me the correct answer(or the books answer anyways), but it doesn't make sense to me because it's not symmetrical:

[tex] \int^{\frac{5 \pi}{6}}_{\frac{\pi}{6}} \int^{1}_{0} r dr d \theta + \int^{\frac{\pi}{6}}_{0} \int^{2sin \theta}_{0} r dr d \theta [/tex]

I tried to add in the area cut off by the degree limits, that's why the second integral goes from zero to pi over 6. For it to be symmetrical however, I should have been able to place a 2 in front of the second integral to get the area cut off by the 5 pi over 6 limit. But the integral above gives me the same answer as the books, it just doesn't make any sense.

That's it. Yes, double the second integral or just write it again changing the limits to 5pi/6 to pi. There are two regions where the r=2*sin(theta) circle are inside the r=1 circle and one where it is outside.
 
  • #23
Oh you're right! haha. Finally it's demystified :) Thank you both for your help.
 
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1. What is double integration?

Double integration is a mathematical technique used to find the area under a two-dimensional curve or surface. It involves integrating a function twice, once with respect to one variable and then again with respect to another variable.

2. How is double integration related to polar coordinates?

Polar coordinates are an alternative way of representing points in a two-dimensional space. They use a distance from the origin (r) and an angle (θ) to specify a point. Double integration can be done using polar coordinates instead of the usual rectangular coordinates (x and y).

3. What is the difference between single and double integration?

Single integration is used to find the area under a one-dimensional curve, while double integration is used to find the area under a two-dimensional curve or surface. Double integration requires integrating twice, once with respect to one variable and then again with respect to another variable.

4. What are the steps for finding a double integral using polar coordinates?

The steps for finding a double integral using polar coordinates are:
1. Convert the given equation from rectangular coordinates to polar coordinates.
2. Determine the limits of integration for both variables (r and θ).
3. Rewrite the equation with respect to the new variables (r and θ).
4. Integrate the inner integral (with respect to r) first, treating θ as a constant.
5. Integrate the outer integral (with respect to θ) using the result from the inner integral as the new function.
6. Evaluate the integral within the specified limits to find the final answer.

5. In what situations is it necessary to use polar coordinates for double integration?

Polar coordinates are useful for finding the area under curves or surfaces that have a circular or radial symmetry. They are also commonly used when dealing with equations in physics, such as those describing electric and magnetic fields.

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