Help with integral (pretty easy but my brain is stuck)

Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
3 replies · 2K views
homestar
Messages
6
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement



This is to find the arc length of r= [tex]\theta[/tex] from 0 < [tex]\theta[/tex] < 2pi

I ended up with [tex]\int[/tex][tex]\sqrt{\theta^2 + 1}[/tex]

Homework Equations



[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\sqrt{\theta^2 + 1}[/tex]


The Attempt at a Solution



I couldn't see a relevant way to do integration by parts so I went with trig substitution, subbing tan(t) for theta. I got lost at the point where I'm to integrate sec^3(t)dt.

Can anyone help? Am I on the right track?

 
Physics news on Phys.org
Looks good to me.

[tex]\int\sec^{3}tdt[/tex]

Let's start by breaking secant to the cube.

[tex]\int\sec t\sec^2 tdt[/tex]

Which would you make u and dV?
 
homestar said:

Homework Statement



This is to find the arc length of r= [tex]\theta[/tex] from 0 < [tex]\theta[/tex] < 2pi

I ended up with [tex]\int[/tex][tex]\sqrt{\theta^2 + 1}[/tex]

Homework Equations



[tex]\int[/tex][tex]\sqrt{\theta^2 + 1}[/tex]
You actually mean [tex]\int\sqrt{\theta^2+ 1} d\theta[/tex] don't you?


The Attempt at a Solution



I couldn't see a relevant way to do integration by parts so I went with trig substitution, subbing tan(t) for theta. I got lost at the point where I'm to integrate sec^3(t)dt.

Can anyone help? Am I on the right track?

Homework Statement


Looks to me like a pretty standard integral. Let [itex]\theta= tan(x)[/itex] so that [itex]d\theta= sec^2(x) dx[/itex] and [itex]\sqrt{\theta^2+ 1}= \sqrt{tan^2(x)+ 1}= sec(x)[/itex]. Then
[tex]\int\sqrt{\theta^2+ 1}d\theta= \int sec^3(x)dx= \int \frac{1}{cos^3(x)}dx[/tex]
[tex]= \int\frac{cox(x)}{cos^3(x)}dx= \int\frac{(cos(x)dx)}{(1- sin^2(x))^2}[/tex]

and the substitution u= sin(x) converts to a rational integral:
[tex]\int \frac{1}{(1-u^2)^2}du[/itex]<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2>Homework Equations</h2><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <h2>The Attempt at a Solution</h2>[/QUOTE][/tex]
 
ahhhh...thank you. it's relatively early in the semester and i may have partied too hard over winter break ;)