Calculating Mass in a Plane Region: Finding a Clever Change of Variables

  • Thread starter Thread starter namu
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Mass Plane
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Start your own thread to ask a follow-up.
6 replies · 3K views
namu
Messages
32
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



Find the mass of the plane region R in the first quadrant of the (x,y)-plane bounded by the hyperbolas

[itex]xy=1 \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, xy=2\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, x^2-y^2=3\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, x^2-y^2=5[/itex]

Assume the density at the point (x,y) is [itex]\rho=x^2+y^2[/itex]

Homework Equations



[tex]m=\int \int_R \rho(x,y)dxdy[/tex]

The Attempt at a Solution



I am stuck at finding a suitable change of variables to transform this into a "nice" region so I don't have to perform 3 separate integrals. Even if I took the long way (3 integrals) the point of intersection is not easy to find analytically. What is a clever change of variables that I can use?

I have tried the following:

[itex]u=xy \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, v=x^2-y^2[/itex]

then I can't find a nice expression for [itex]\rho(u,v)[/itex]

I also tried

[itex]x=u/v \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, y=v[/itex]

but then solving for v is ugly.

I even tried

[itex]u=x^2 \,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\,\, v=y^2[/itex]

which gave another ugly region.

Please help, thank you.
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
Your first set of transformations is the one you want. Now consider ##4 u^2+v^2##.
 
vela said:
Your first set of transformations is the one you want. Now consider ##4 u^2+v^2##.

Im still lost. I want [itex]\rho=x^2+y^2[/itex].
[itex]4u^2=x^2+y^2[/itex]
[itex]v^2=x^4-2x^2y^2+y^4[/itex]

I'm still getting nowhere.
 
How did you get 4u2=x2+y2 from u=xy?
 
namu said:
Im still lost. I want [itex]\rho=x^2+y^2[/itex].
[itex]4u^2=x^2+y^2[/itex]
[itex]v^2=x^4-2x^2y^2+y^4[/itex]

I'm still getting nowhere.
Isn't [itex]4u^2=4(xy)^2=4x^2y^2\,?[/itex]

Now, add that to [itex]x^4-2x^2y^2+y^4\,?[/itex]

Factor that !
 
vela said:
How did you get 4u2=x2+y2 from u=xy?

Sorry, I made a typo since I was copy pasting

[itex]4u^2=4x^2 y^2[/itex]
 
SammyS said:
Isn't [itex]4u^2=4(xy)^2=4x^2y^2\,?[/itex]

Now, add that to [itex]x^4-2x^2y^2+y^4\,?[/itex]

Factor that !

Ok, round 2, here it goes.

[itex]4u^2=4x^2 y^2[/itex]
[itex]v^2=x^4-2x^2y^2+y^4[/itex]
[itex]4u^2+v^2=x^4+2x^2 y^2+y^4=(x^2+y^2)^2=\rho^2[/itex]

Thank you!