Solving Integral for Mass of D in Spherical Coordinates

In summary, the problem is setting up the integral for the given problem. He is getting an answer which does not correspond to the given answer. He needs help with setting up the integral.
  • #1
Benny
584
0
Hi, I'm having trouble setting up an integral for the following problem.

Q. Let D be the region inside the sphere x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 4 in common with the region below the cone [tex]z = \frac{1}{{\sqrt 3 }}\sqrt {x^2 + y^2 }[/tex].

Using spherical coordinates find the mass of D if the mass density is z^2.

I keep on getting an answer which doesn't correspond to the given answer. I just need help setting up the integral. I get:

[tex]
z = \frac{1}{{\sqrt 3 }}\sqrt {x^2 + y^2 } \Rightarrow \cos \phi = \frac{1}{{\sqrt 3 }}\sin \phi \Rightarrow \phi = \frac{\pi }{3}
[/tex]

[tex]
x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 4 \Rightarrow \rho = 2
[/tex]

[tex]
m = \int\limits_{}^{} {\int\limits_{}^{} {\int\limits_E^{} {z^2 dV} } }
[/tex]

[tex]
= \int\limits_{}^{} {\int\limits_{}^{} {\int\limits_E^{} {\rho ^2 \cos ^2 \left( \phi \right)dV} } }
[/tex]

[tex]
= \int\limits_{\frac{\pi }{3}}^\pi {\int\limits_0^{2\pi } {\int\limits_0^2 {\rho ^2 \cos ^2 \left( \phi \right)} } } \rho ^2 \sin \left( \phi \right)d\rho d\theta d\phi
[/tex]

[tex]
= \int\limits_{\frac{\pi }{3}}^\pi {\int\limits_0^{2\pi } {\int\limits_0^2 {\rho ^4 \cos ^2 \left( \phi \right)} } } \sin \left( \phi \right)d\rho d\theta d\phi
[/tex]

The evaluation of the integral is fairly straight forward. It's just setting up the correct integral which is giving me problems. Can someone go through my working and show me where I stuffed up?
 
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  • #2
How do you know your setup is wrong?

It looks okay to me except that I would label things differently. I would use [itex]\theta[/itex] for the polar angle, [itex]\phi[/itex] for the azimuthal angle and [itex]r[/itex] for the radial coordinate.
 
  • #3
He used rho instead of r, because in some books r is reserved for the radial direction in cylinderical coordinates, and rho is for sphereical. Math and physics text typically switch the phi and theta labels.

(What happened to consistency?) ;-p
 
  • #4
Consistency? I think that's a bit much to ask! ;)
 
  • #5
I might have just evaluated the integral incorrectly or the answer which is given might be incorrect (I doubt it though). Thanks for the help.
 

1. What are spherical coordinates?

Spherical coordinates are a system for representing points in three-dimensional space using a distance from the origin, an angle from the z-axis, and an angle from the x-axis.

2. Why is it important to solve integrals for mass in spherical coordinates?

Solving integrals for mass in spherical coordinates allows us to calculate the mass of a three-dimensional object, which is important in many fields such as physics, engineering, and astronomy.

3. How do you convert from Cartesian coordinates to spherical coordinates?

The conversion from Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) to spherical coordinates (r, θ, φ) is done using the following equations:
r = √(x² + y² + z²)
θ = arctan(y/x)
φ = arccos(z/r)

4. What is the formula for solving an integral in spherical coordinates?

The formula for solving an integral in spherical coordinates is:
∫∫∫ f(r, θ, φ) r² sin(φ) dr dθ dφ

5. Can spherical coordinates be used to solve any type of integral?

No, spherical coordinates are most useful for solving integrals that involve objects with spherical symmetry, such as spheres, shells, or cones. For other types of objects, different coordinate systems may be more appropriate.

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