Center of Mass and Surface Area (multivariable)

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around verifying moments of inertia and finding the center of mass for a lamina, as well as calculating the surface area of a portion of a sphere within a cylinder. The context involves multivariable calculus concepts, particularly in relation to integration and geometric properties.

Discussion Character

  • Mixed

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the verification of the center of mass for a circle and the discrepancies between their calculations and the textbook answer. There is also exploration of the surface area calculation for a sphere, with questions about whether both positive and negative z-values have been considered in the integration process.

Discussion Status

Some participants are questioning the assumptions made regarding the center of mass and the surface area calculations. There is acknowledgment of differing interpretations of the problem setup, particularly concerning the integration limits and the need to account for both halves of the sphere.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the uniform density assumption and the specific geometric constraints of the problems, including the radius of the circle and the dimensions of the sphere and cylinder involved in the calculations.

clairez93
Messages
113
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



1. Verify the given moments of inertia and find the center of mass. Assume each lamina has a density of p=1. The problem gives a circle with a radius a.

2. Find the area of the surface of the portion of the sphere x^2 + y^2 + z^2 = 25 inside the cylinder x^2 + y^2 = 9.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution



1. I already verified the moment, it's the center of mass that's a problem. It gives a picture of a circle with its center at the origin. I would say the center of mass is (0, 0) since its center is at the origin and has a uniform density. Also, I did the math and all and it works out to 0 for x and y as well. The book however says the answer is (a/2, a/2)

2. I wasn't sure about this one. I tried this double integral.

\int^{2\pi}_{0}\int^{3}_{0}\frac{5}{\sqrt{25 - r^{2}}}r*dr*d\theta

(with all the partial derivative and plugging formula and converting to polar steps taken out)
which comes out to 10pi, but the book says the answer is 20pi.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I really can't argue with your logic on the first one. But on the second one, I think you are only getting the area for the positive z part. There's also a negative z part.
 
Dick said:
I really can't argue with your logic on the first one. But on the second one, I think you are only getting the area for the positive z part. There's also a negative z part.

Does this mean I have to add another double integral with the equation of -5/sqrt 25-r^2 to get the right answer?
 
clairez93 said:
Does this mean I have to add another double integral with the equation of -5/sqrt 25-r^2 to get the right answer?

Not exactly. You did the z=sqrt(25-r^2) part. If you do the z=(-sqrt(25-r^2)) part (partial derivatives etc.) you'll get the same integral form.
 

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
2K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
5K
Replies
11
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K