Converting polar to cartesian coordinates

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on converting polar coordinates to Cartesian coordinates, specifically addressing the calculation of area under a curve. A key point raised is the necessity of including a factor of 2 in the integral to account for symmetry in the area calculation. The integral from 0 to π/4 only represents half of the desired area, thus necessitating the multiplication by 2 to obtain the full area of the region in question.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of polar and Cartesian coordinate systems
  • Knowledge of integral calculus
  • Familiarity with symmetry in geometric shapes
  • Ability to interpret area under curves
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the conversion formulas between polar and Cartesian coordinates
  • Learn about calculating areas using definite integrals
  • Explore the concept of symmetry in calculus
  • Investigate applications of polar coordinates in real-world scenarios
USEFUL FOR

Students studying calculus, mathematicians interested in coordinate transformations, and educators teaching integral calculus concepts.

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Homework Statement



Screenshot2012-02-16at15012AM.png


Homework Equations



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The Attempt at a Solution



Do you see that 2 between A and the integral? There's no 2 in the above equation. I don't see where that 2 came from. Everything else is fine.
 
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The 2 comes from the symmetry. 0 to pi/4 on the sine circle is only calculating the bottom-right half of the area.
 
because if you just did it with no 2*the integral then you would only get the area of half of your region
 

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