- #1
Manni
- 42
- 0
Find the length of the curve r = cos^2(theta/2)
I'm hopelessly lost.
I'm hopelessly lost.
The equation for the curve is r = cos^2(theta/2), where r represents the distance from the origin and theta represents the angle of rotation.
To find the length of the curve, you can use the arc length formula: L = ∫√(r^2 + (dr/dtheta)^2)dtheta. In this case, the derivative of r is -sin(theta/2) and the integral can be solved using trigonometric identities.
The range of values for theta is 0 ≤ theta ≤ 2π, which covers one full rotation of the curve.
The value of theta determines the position and shape of the curve. As theta increases, the curve rotates counterclockwise and as theta decreases, the curve rotates clockwise. When theta is a multiple of pi, the curve forms a straight line.
The curve r = cos^2(theta/2) is known as a cardioid, which is a special type of curve called a limaçon. It is commonly used in polar coordinates and has applications in physics, engineering, and other fields of mathematics.