Find the exact length of the polar curve

In summary, the problem is to find the length of a segment between two points given the equation r^2=5^theta. Integrating between the two points gives a length of 5^theta+10^theta (ln 5)+ (ln 5)^2, but these integrals are ridiculously hard to solve.
  • #1
jumboopizza
13
0

Homework Statement


r=5^theta theta goes from 0 to 2Pi


Homework Equations



Length= integral between a and b of sqrt(r^2+(dr/dtheta)^2)dtheta

The Attempt at a Solution



r^2=25^theta or 5^(2theta) dr/dtheta=5^theta (ln 5) (dr/dtheta)^2=25^theta+10^theta (ln 5)+ (ln 5)^2

so the integral would be= sqrt(25^theta+25^theta+10^theta (ln 5)+ (ln 5)^2) dtheta

ive been working on this problem all day only to find no clue how to solve it,wolfram alpha keeps timing out and can't solve it,maple can't solve it

i also tried the length= integral(sqrt(dx/dtheta)^2+(dy/dtheta)^2) but both of these turn out to be ridiculously hard integrals to solve...can someone help please?
 
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  • #2
jumboopizza said:

Homework Statement


r=5^theta theta goes from 0 to 2Pi


Homework Equations



Length= integral between a and b of sqrt(r^2+(dr/dtheta)^2)dtheta

The Attempt at a Solution



r^2=25^theta or 5^(2theta) dr/dtheta=5^theta (ln 5) (dr/dtheta)^2=25^theta+10^theta (ln 5)+ (ln 5)^2

so the integral would be= sqrt(25^theta+25^theta+10^theta (ln 5)+ (ln 5)^2) dtheta

ive been working on this problem all day only to find no clue how to solve it,wolfram alpha keeps timing out and can't solve it,maple can't solve it

i also tried the length= integral(sqrt(dx/dtheta)^2+(dy/dtheta)^2) but both of these turn out to be ridiculously hard integrals to solve...can someone help please?

It would be helpful to know which class this is for, since there are fancy ways to solve it through Complex Analysis. However, just use the fact that 5θ = eln5θ = eθ ln(5) = (eθ)ln (5). Make a u-substitution with u = eθ; then you have ∫ uln (5) du = uln(5) + 1 / (ln(5) + 1) + C = (eθ)ln(5)+1 / (ln(5) + 1) + C.
 
  • #3
multivariable calculus 1...the way you did it looks really complicated lol...would it be the same if i used this for length?

(sqrt((dx/dtheta)^2+(dy/dtheta)^2)dtheta)?

i get an integral of sqrt(25^x(1+(ln5)^2)

however when i try to compute the exact integral, the results i get from wolfram alpha are slighty different...

(sqrt((dx/dtheta)^2+(dy/dtheta)^2)dtheta) this way gives a length of 24649.1

and the first way (sqrt(r^2+(dr/dtheta)^2) gives 21719.3

and when i calculate it on my own using this way,(sqrt((dx/dtheta)^2+(dy/dtheta)^2)dtheta) i get29015.56297...

this question has got me soo frustrated,how can they expect us to do this without computers?
 

1. How do you find the exact length of a polar curve?

To find the exact length of a polar curve, you can use the arc length formula for polar curves, which is given by:
L = ∫√[r² + (dr/dθ)²] dθ
where r is the polar function and dr/dθ is its derivative. You can use this formula to integrate the curve and find its length.

2. What is the difference between finding the length of a polar curve and a regular curve?

The main difference between finding the length of a polar curve and a regular curve is the use of coordinates. Polar curves are defined in terms of radius and angle, while regular curves are defined in terms of x and y coordinates. This means that the formulas used to find the length of a polar curve are different from those used for regular curves.

3. Can you use a calculator to find the length of a polar curve?

Yes, you can use a calculator to find the length of a polar curve. Many scientific calculators have a built-in function for finding the arc length of a polar curve. You can also use online calculators or computer software to calculate the length of a polar curve.

4. Are there any special cases when finding the length of a polar curve?

Yes, there are some special cases when finding the length of a polar curve. One example is when the polar function is a straight line or a circle, in which case the length can be easily calculated using geometry. Another special case is when the polar function has symmetry, which can simplify the integration process.

5. How accurate is the calculated length of a polar curve?

The accuracy of the calculated length of a polar curve depends on the precision of the calculations and the accuracy of the input data. If the polar function is a simple one and the calculations are done accurately, the calculated length should be very close to the actual length of the curve. However, as the complexity of the function increases, the accuracy of the calculated length may decrease.

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