How can I calculate the cumulative mass of a disk using disk mass density?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the cumulative mass of a disk using its mass density, which is given as an exponential function of the radius, ρ(r) = ρ0 * e^(-r/h). Participants are exploring the use of double integrals in polar coordinates to derive the cumulative mass function m(r).

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the setup of the integral needed to calculate the cumulative mass and question the significance of the parameter h in the mass density function. There are attempts to evaluate the integral using integration by parts and substitution, with some participants expressing uncertainty about their results.

Discussion Status

There is an ongoing exploration of the integration process, with participants sharing their intermediate results and questioning the correctness of their approaches. Some guidance has been provided regarding the use of integration by parts, but no consensus has been reached on the final form of the cumulative mass function.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working under the constraints of a homework assignment, which may limit the information they can share. There is also a discussion about the nature of definite versus indefinite integrals in the context of cumulative mass calculations.

independentphysics
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Homework Statement
Find cumulative mass of a disk
Relevant Equations
Exponential mass function
I want to find the cumulative mass m(r) of a mass disk. I have the mass density in terms of r, it is an exponential function:
ρ(r)=ρ0*e^(-r/h)

A double integral in polar coordinates should do, but im not sure about the solution I get.
 
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independentphysics said:
Homework Statement: Find cumulative mass of a disk
Relevant Equations: Exponential mass function

I want to find the cumulative mass m(r) of a mass disk. I have the mass density in terms of r, it is an exponential function:
ρ(r)=ρ0*e^(-r/h)

A double integral in polar coordinates should do, but im not sure about the solution I get.
What solution do you get?

Also, what is the significance of h in your equation?

You can write an iterated integral in LaTeX like this: ##\int_{\theta = 0}^b \int_{r = 0}^a f(r, \theta)~dr~d\theta##
 
Mark44 said:
What solution do you get?

Also, what is the significance of h in your equation?

You can write an iterated integral in LaTeX like this: ##\int_{\theta = 0}^b \int_{r = 0}^a f(r, \theta)~dr~d\theta##
I am getting: ρ(r)=2*π*ρ0 * h^2 * [1 - e^(-r/h)]
h is a constant
 
Is your intermediate result 2\pi \rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr?
 
pasmith said:
Is your intermediate result 2\pi \rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr?
Yes, it is.
 
pasmith said:
Is your intermediate result 2\pi \rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr?

independentphysics said:
Yes, it is.
Assuming @pasmith's work is correct (I haven't worked the problem), the integral shown can be evaluated using integration by parts.
 
Mark44 said:
Assuming @pasmith's work is correct (I haven't worked the problem), the integral shown can be evaluated using integration by parts.
Yes, I am aware of it, but Im not sure about my final result.
 
independentphysics said:
Yes, I am aware of it, but Im not sure about my final result.
Well, why don't you show us what you got, together with your work?
 
Mark44 said:
Well, why don't you show us what you got, together with your work?

From 2\pi \rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr

I evaluate this integral using integration by substitution. Let u = r/h, then du/dr = 1/h and dr = h*du. Substituting, we get:

m(r) = 2π * ρ0 * h^2 * ∫ u * e^(-u) * du

Is this correct?
 
  • #10
independentphysics said:
From 2\pi \rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr

I evaluate this integral using integration by substitution. Let u = r/h, then du/dr = 1/h and dr = h*du. Substituting, we get:

m(r) = 2π * ρ0 * h^2 * ∫ u * e^(-u) * du

Is this correct?
It's technically correct, but it doesn't get you any closer to evaluating the integral. To integrate ##\int re^{-r/h}dr## you need to use integration by parts, something I mentioned before.
A substitution won't be useful here.
 
  • #11
Mark44 said:
It's technically correct, but it doesn't get you any closer to evaluating the integral. To integrate ##\int re^{-r/h}dr## you need to use integration by parts, something I mentioned before.
A substitution won't be useful here.
How do I integrate by parts the function?
 
  • #12
independentphysics said:
How do I integrate by parts the function?
Your calculus textbook should have a section on integration by parts, along with several examples.
 
  • #13
Mark44 said:
Your calculus textbook should have a section on integration by parts, along with several examples.
If I choose u=r and v=e^(-r/h) so that du=1, will this do?
 
  • #14
independentphysics said:
If I choose u=r and v=e^(-r/h) so that du=1, will this do?
No.

If ##u=r## (that's fine), then ##du=dr##.

For ##v##, you need ##\displaystyle dv=e^{-r/h}\,dr##.

Integrate to get ##v##.
 
  • #15
SammyS said:
No.

If ##u=r## (that's fine), then ##du=dr##.

For ##v##, you need ##\displaystyle dv=e^{-r/h}\,dr##.

Integrate to get ##v##.
ρ(r)= ρ0*e^(-r/h)

2π results from integration of angle in polar coordinates

integrate (r*e^(-r/h) dr)
u=r
du=dr
dv=e^(-r/h)*dr
v=-h*exp(-r/h)

ρ(r)=2π * ρ0 * ( r*h*(-e^(-r/h) + int(h*e^(-r/h)dr )

Is it correct?
 
  • #16
independentphysics said:
ρ(r)= ρ0*e^(-r/h)

2π results from integration of angle in polar coordinates

integrate (r*e^(-r/h) dr)
u=r
du=dr
dv=e^(-r/h)*dr
v=-h*exp(-r/h)

ρ(r)=2π * ρ0 * ( r*h*(-e^(-r/h) + int(h*e^(-r/h)dr )

Is it correct?
It looks like you're on the right track. The biggest mistake I see is that your equation starts off with ##\rho(r)## when it should be m(r), the cumulative mass. Again, I haven't worked through the problem, and am assuming that @pasmith's hint is correct.

If so, all you need to do to finish is 1) evaluate ##\int h e^{-r/h}dr##, and then 2) evaluate the resulting large expression at r = 0 and r = R, subtracting the first expression (with r = 0) from the latter expression.

The integral I mentioned is relatively straightforward -- a simple substitution will work.
 
  • #17
Mark44 said:
It looks like you're on the right track. The biggest mistake I see is that your equation starts off with ##\rho(r)## when it should be m(r), the cumulative mass. Again, I haven't worked through the problem, and am assuming that @pasmith's hint is correct.

If so, all you need to do to finish is 1) evaluate ##\int h e^{-r/h}dr##, and then 2) evaluate the resulting large expression at r = 0 and r = R, subtracting the first expression (with r = 0) from the latter expression.

The integral I mentioned is relatively straightforward -- a simple substitution will work.

Equation:
ρ(r)=ρ0*e^(-r/h)
In polar coordinates, a 2π factor multiplies the integratal (r*e^(-r/h) dr)
u=r
du=dr
dv=e^(-r/h)*dr
v=-h*exp(-r/h)
2π * ρ0 * ( r*h*(-e^(-r/h) + int(h*e^(-r/h)dr )
M (r)=2π * ρ0 * h * (h + r) * (-e^(-r/h)) + c
I find c by M(0)=c
 
  • #18
independentphysics said:
Equation:
ρ(r)=ρ0*e^(-r/h)
In polar coordinates, a 2π factor multiplies the integratal (r*e^(-r/h) dr)
u=r
du=dr
dv=e^(-r/h)*dr
v=-h*exp(-r/h)
2π * ρ0 * ( r*h*(-e^(-r/h) + int(h*e^(-r/h)dr )
M (r)=2π * ρ0 * h * (h + r) * (-e^(-r/h)) + c
I find c by M(0)=c
Your final answer for M should involve h and R, but should not involve r.
You need to evaluate M(R) and M(0), and your final answer for M will be M(R) - M(0).
For M(0) I get ##2\pi \rho_0 h^2##.
 
  • #19
Mark44 said:
Your final answer for M should involve h and R, but should not involve r.
You need to evaluate M(R) and M(0), and your final answer for M will be M(R) - M(0).
For M(0) I get ##2\pi \rho_0 h^2##.
The final answer for cumulative mass M(r) and depends on r.

R is end of the disk, which doesn't even need to exist (I've never mentioned if the disk in infinite).

M(0) is M(r=0).

The final answer for cumulative mass M(r) involves +constant an the end of the discussed integral, which is M(0).
 
  • #20
The mass of the disc 0 \leq r &lt; R is M(R) = 2\pi\rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr. It follows immediately that M(0) = 0. Since <br /> \frac{d}{dr} re^{-r/h} = (1 - rh^{-1})e^{-r/h} we have <br /> re^{-r/h} = he^{-r/h} - h\frac{d}{dr} re^{-r/h} and thus <br /> \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr = h^2(1 - e^{-R/h}) - hRe^{-R/h}.
 
  • #21
pasmith said:
The mass of the disc 0 \leq r &lt; R is M(R) = 2\pi\rho_0 \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr. It follows immediately that M(0) = 0. Since <br /> \frac{d}{dr} re^{-r/h} = (1 - rh^{-1})e^{-r/h} we have <br /> re^{-r/h} = he^{-r/h} - h\frac{d}{dr} re^{-r/h} and thus <br /> \int_0^R re^{-r/h}\,dr = h^2(1 - e^{-R/h}) - hRe^{-R/h}.
There is a constant (+C) after integrating the density function to obtain cumulative mass M(r), and M(0) is not 0.
 
  • #22
independentphysics said:
There is a constant (+C) after integrating the density function to obtain cumulative mass M(r), and M(0) is not 0.

You seem confused. There is no arbitrary constant in a definite integral, which is what M(R) = 2\pi\int_0^R r\rho(r)\,dr is, and a basic result of integration theory (Riemann or Lebesgue) is that for any function f, \int_a^a f(x)\,dx = 0.
 
  • #23
pasmith said:
You seem confused. There is no arbitrary constant in a definite integral, which is what M(R) = 2\pi\int_0^R r\rho(r)\,dr is, and a basic result of integration theory (Riemann or Lebesgue) is that for any function f, \int_a^a f(x)\,dx = 0.
Cumulative mass in function of r is not a definite integral.
 
  • #24
independentphysics said:
Cumulative mass in function of r is not a definite integral.

The limits are specified: the lower limit is fixed at zero, and the upper limit is the radius we are considering. That makes it a definite integral.
 
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  • #25
independentphysics said:
There is a constant (+C) after integrating the density function to obtain cumulative mass M(r), and M(0) is not 0.
Yes:
You can use the indefinite integral to obtain the correct expression for the cumulative mass, M(r), of the disk. However, it makes sense that M(0) = 0 . That does not give you a value of 0 for the integration constant, C.

In Post#17, you had:
independentphysics said:
M (r)=2π * ρ0 * h * (h + r) * (-e^(-r/h)) + c
I find c by M(0)=c
Writing the LaTeX version of that, we have: ##\displaystyle \quad M(r)=2\pi \rho_0 (h^2 + rh) (-e^{-r/h}) + C##

Giving that ##\displaystyle \quad M(0)=C-2\pi \rho_0 h^2 ##.

Setting this to zero gives ##\displaystyle \quad 2\pi \rho_0 h^2 =C ##

Substitute that back into the expression for ##M(r)##, and after a little rearranging, you get:

##\displaystyle \quad M(r)=2\pi \rho_0 \left(h^2(1-e^{-r/h}) - rh\,e^{-r/h} \right)##
 
  • #26
SammyS said:
Yes:
You can use the indefinite integral to obtain the correct expression for the cumulative mass, M(r), of the disk. However, it makes sense that M(0) = 0 . That does not give you a value of 0 for the integration constant, C.

In Post#17, you had:

Writing the LaTeX version of that, we have: ##\displaystyle \quad M(r)=2\pi \rho_0 (h^2 + rh) (-e^{-r/h}) + C##

Giving that ##\displaystyle \quad M(0)=C-2\pi \rho_0 h^2 ##.

Setting this to zero gives ##\displaystyle \quad 2\pi \rho_0 h^2 =C ##

Substitute that back into the expression for ##M(r)##, and after a little rearranging, you get:

##\displaystyle \quad M(r)=2\pi \rho_0 \left(h^2(1-e^{-r/h}) - rh\,e^{-r/h} \right)##
I was wrong, I find this correct. Thank you very much
 
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