Calculus Help: Find Answers to Questions on Volume & Integration

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around two calculus problems related to integration and volume of solids of revolution. The original poster seeks clarification on discrepancies between their answers and those provided by their teacher.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Problem interpretation

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts integration using substitution methods and the washer method for volume calculation. They express confusion over their results compared to the teacher's solutions.
  • Some participants question the validity of the substitutions made by the original poster, particularly regarding the definition of variables.
  • Others discuss the application of the washer method and the necessity of subtracting integrals with the same limits of integration.

Discussion Status

Participants are actively exploring the original poster's reasoning and calculations. Some guidance has been offered regarding the correct application of substitution and the washer method, but there is no explicit consensus on the correctness of the original poster's approach to the second question.

Contextual Notes

The original poster is working under the constraints of a homework assignment, which may limit the methods they can use or the assumptions they can make. There is an ongoing discussion about the appropriateness of their substitutions and the interpretation of the washer method.

Bazzdc89
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Hello everyone, first time poster here. Well here is my problem , I recently had a test and right after the test my teacher handed our class the solutions to the test ,there were two problems that my answers conflicted with his. So basically my questions are why are my answers different from his? Am I doing my problems correctly?. I would greatly appreciate it if you could review my answers

[tex] \int \frac{1}{(x-1)\sqrt{x^2-2x}} \, dx[/tex]

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



so I started with

[tex] u=x^2-2x\text[/tex]
[tex] {du}=2(x-1)\text{dx}[/tex]
[tex] \frac{\text{du}}{2}=(x-1)\text{dx}[/tex]

then i let[tex]u=x-1[/tex]
so [tex]u+1=x[/tex]

that got me
[tex] \frac{1}{2}\int \frac{1}{(u+1)\sqrt{u}} \, du[/tex]

I then changed that too
[tex] \frac{1}{2}\int \frac{1}{u^{\frac{3}{2}}+\sqrt{u}} \, du[/tex]

then I let
[tex] v=\sqrt{u}[/tex]
[tex] v^2=u[/tex]

[tex] 2\text{vdv}=\text{du}[/tex]

[tex] \frac{2}{2}\int \frac{v}{\left(v^2\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}+\sqrt{v^2}}[/tex]
Simplifying I got
[tex] \int \frac{1}{v^2+1} \, dv[/tex]
Then from there it was easy
[tex] \text{ArcTan}[v][/tex]
[tex] {ArcTan}\left[\sqrt{u}\right][/tex]
[tex] {ArcTan}\left[\sqrt{x^2-2x}\right][/tex]

so that was my final answer
Here is my second question with deals with volume of a solid under revolutionFind the volume of the solid generated by revolving the region bounded by the graphs of
y=sin(x) y=cos(x) x= Pi/2 ( we could use which ever method we preferred, I used washer) My attempt Using Washer method
a=0 , b= pi/4
[tex] \int \text{Cos}[x]^2-\text{Sin}[x]^2dx[/tex]
Minus

a= pi/4 , b= pi/2
[tex] \int \text{Sin}[x]^2-\text{Cos}[x]^2dx[/tex]which resulted my in getting
[tex]\pi[/tex]

My teachers answers to the two questions
For the first one
[tex] \sec ^{-1}(x-1)[/tex]
For the second one
[tex] \left(\frac{\pi }{2}-1\right)\pi [/tex]
 
Last edited:
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Your attempt at the first problem is wrong because you have u = x^2 - 2x and u = x-1. You can't define u to be two different expressions and then substitute u back in.

So I completely forgot how to calculate volumes, but in the washer method don't you subtract two integrals that have the same limits of integration?
 
I noticed that I did use two U substitutions, but maple and wolfram are giving me the same answer so I'm kind of confused on that first step of substitution.

And for washer you do the integration of from a to b, "Big radius"- "small radius" , squaring each of the radius,and for my problem i had to do the washer method twice cause the graph of cos(x)>sin(x),from 0-->Pi/4 ; and the graph of sin(x) > cos(x) from Pi/4 --> Pi/2
 
Well the issue is that you're basically treating those two expressions to be the same. Not only that, but technically you made a mistake in substituting u since you put u = x-1, so you should end up with u^(3/2) in the denominator (temporarily allowing the substitution). Thus I think it was by coincidence that whatever calculations you made resulted in the correct antiderivative. The point is you can't just let u be two different things. The solution given by wolfram alpha is completely different, and does not let u be two different expressions.
 
Alright so I figured out what my problem was for question #1, It was coincidence how I got the right answer, and I figured out the proper way to solve the integration.

Any idea if I am solving question #2 right?
 

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