Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

Section 9.
4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates
2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka
Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

In this section we develop the formula for the area of a region whose boundary is given by a polar equation.
We need to use the formula for the area of a sector of a circle
1
A = r2
2
(1)
where r is the radius and is the radian measure of the central angle. Formula 1 follows from the fact
that the area of a sector is proportional to its central angle:
A=
1
r 2 = r 2
2
2
Let R be the region bounded by the polar curve r = f () and by the rays = a and = b, where f is a
positive continuous function and where 0 < b a 2.
We divide the interval [a, b] into subintervals with endpoints 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . , n and equal width . The
rays = i then divide R into n smaller regions with central angle = i i1 . If we choose i in the
ith subinterval [i1 , i ], then the area Ai of the ith region is approximated by the area of the sector of
a circle with central angle and radius f (i ). Thus from Formula 1 we have
1
Ai [f (i )]2
2
and so an approximation to the total area A of R is A
n
X
1
i=1
(2)
[f (i )]2 . One can see that the approxima-
1
tion in (2) improves as n . But the sums in (2) are Riemann sums for the function g() = [f ()]2 ,
2
so
Z
n
b
X1
1
lim
[f (i )]2 =
[f ()]2 d
n
2
a 2
i=1
It therefore appears plausible (and can in fact be proved) that the formula for the area A of the polar
region R is
Z b
1
(3)
A=
[f ()]2 d
2
a
This formula is often written as
A=
1 2
r d
2
(4)
Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates
EXAMPLE: Find the area of each of the following regions:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Solution:
(a) We have
A=
3/4
/4
1 2
1
1 d =
2
2
3/4
/4
1
d =
2
4
4
1
=
2
2
4
(b) We have
A=
2+/4
3/4
1
1 2
1 d =
2
2
2+/4
3/4
1
d =
2
3
2 +
4
4
1
=
2

2
3
2
= =
4
4
4
(c) We have
A=
7/4
5/4
1
1 2
1 d =
2
2
7/4
5/4
1
d =
2
7 5
4
4
1
=
2
2
4
(d) We have
A=
2+/4
7/4
1 2
1
1 d =
2
2
or
A=
/4
/4
2+/4
7/4
1
1 2
1 d =
2
2
1
d =
2
7
2 +
4
4
/4
d =
/4
1
=
2

6
3
2
=
=
4
4
4
1 1
=
=

+
2 4
4
2 4
4
4
EXAMPLE: Find the area of the inner loop of r = 2 + 4 cos .
EXAMPLE: Find the area of the inner loop of r = 2 + 4 cos .
Solution: We first find a and b:

2 + 4 cos = 0
Therefore the area is
Z
A =
4/3
2/3
4/3
4/3
1
(2 + 4 cos )2 d =
2
cos =
2 4
,
3
3
1
(4 + 16 cos + 16 cos2 )d
2
2/3
(2 + 8 cos + 8 cos )d =
2/3
4/3
1
2
4/3
2/3
(2 + 8 cos + 4(1 + cos 2)d =
2/3

1 + cos 2
d
2 + 8 cos + 8
2
4/3
(6 + 8 cos + 4 cos 2)d
2/3
h
i4/3
= 6 + 8 sin + 2 sin 2
= 4 6 3 2.174
2/3
EXAMPLE: Find the area enclosed by one loop of the four-leaved rose r = cos 2.
EXAMPLE: Find the area enclosed by one loop of the four-leaved rose r = cos 2.
Solution: Notice that the region enclosed by the right loop is swept out by a ray that rotates from = /4
to = /4. Therefore, Formula 4 gives
A =
/4
/4
/4
1 2
1
r d =
2
2
/4
2
cos 2d =
/4
/4
cos2 2d

/4
1
1
1
=
+ sin 4
(1 + cos 4)d =
2
2
4
8
0
Let R be the region bounded by curves with polar equations r = f (), r = g(), = a, and = b, where
f () g() 0 and 0 < b a 2. Then the area A of R is
A=
b
a

1
[f ()]2 [g()]2 d
2
EXAMPLE: Find the area that lies inside r = 3 + 2 sin and outside r = 2.
EXAMPLE: Find the area that lies inside r = 3 + 2 sin and outside r = 2.
Solution: We first find a and b:

3 + 2 sin = 2
1
sin =
2
=
,
6
6
11
6
Therefore the area is

Z 7/6
Z 7/6

1
1
2
2
A =
(3 + 2 sin ) 2 d =
(5 + 12 sin + 4 sin2 )d
/6 2
/6 2
=
Z
Z
7/6
/6
7/6
/6
1
2

Z 7/6
1 cos 2
1
5 + 12 sin + 4
d =
(5 + 12 sin + 2(1 cos 2))d
2
/6 2
i7/6
1h
1
(7 + 12 sin 2 cos 2)d = 7 12 cos sin 2
/6
2
2
11 3 14
=
+
24.187
2
3
EXAMPLE: Find the area of the region outside r = 3 + 2 sin and inside r = 2.
EXAMPLE: Find the area of the region outside r = 3 + 2 sin and inside r = 2.
Solution: We have
Z 11/6

1 2
2 (3 + 2 sin )2 d
A =
2
7/6
=
11/6
11/6
7/6
7/6
1
(5 12 sin 4 sin2 )d
2
i11/6 113 7
1h
1
=
7 + 12 cos + sin 2
(7 12 sin + 2 cos 2)d =
2.196
7/6
2
2
2
3
1
EXAMPLE: Find all points of intersection of the curves r = cos 2 and r = .
2
1
1
Solution: If we solve the equations r = cos 2 and r = , we get cos 2 = and, therefore,
2
2
2 = /3, 5/3, 7/3, 11/3
Thus the values of between 0 and 2 that satisfy both equations are
= /6, 5/6, 7/6, 11/6
We have found four points of intersection:

1
1
1
1
, /6 ,
, 5/6 ,
, 7/6 , and
, 11/6
2
2
2
2
However, you can see from the above figure that the curves have four other points of intersection namely,

1
1
1
1
, /3 ,
, 2/3 ,
, 4/3 , and
, 5/3
2
2
2
2
1
These can be found using symmetry or by noticing that another equation of the circle is r = and then
2
1
solving the equations r = cos 2 and r = .
2
6
Arc Length
To find the length of a polar curve r = f (), a b, we regard as a parameter and write the
parametric equations of the curve as
x = r cos = f () cos
y = r sin = f () sin
Using the Product Rule and differentiating with respect to , we obtain

dx
dr
=
cos r sin
d
d
dy
dr
=
sin + r cos
d
d
So, using cos2 + sin2 = 1, we have

2 2 2
dx
dy
dr
dr
+
=
cos2 2r cos sin + r 2 sin2
d
d
d
d
+
dr
d
2
dr
sin + 2r sin cos + r 2 cos2 =
d
2
dr
d
2
+ r2
Assuming that f is continuous, we can use one of the formulas from Section 9.2 to write the arc length as
s
Z b 2 2
dy
dx
L=
+
d
d
d
a
Therefore, the length of a curve with polar equation r = f (), a b, is
L=
b
a
r2
dr
d
EXAMPLE: Find the length of the curve r = , 0 1.
2
(5)
EXAMPLE: Find the length of the curve r = , 0 1.
Solution: We have
L =
2 + 1 =
tan2 x + 1 =
2 + 1d =
d = d tan x
sec2 x = | sec x| = sec x
d = sec2 xdx
/4
1
sec xdx = (sec x tan x + ln | sec x + tan x|)
2
3
= tan x
EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 cos .
/4
0
1
= ( 2 + ln(1 + 2))
2
EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 cos .
Solution: The full length of the cardioid is given by the parameter interval 0 2, so Formula 5 gives
s
2
Z 2
Z 2 q
dr
L=
d =
r2 +
(1 cos )2 + sin2 d
d
0
0
=
=
Z
Z
2
0
2
0
2
1 2 cos + cos2 + sin2 d
2 2 cos d
4 sin2 d
2
0

Z 2

=
2 sin d
2
0
Z 2
=
2 sin d
2
0
2
=4+4=8
= 4 cos
2 0
=
EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 + sin .
EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 + sin .
Solution 1: Note that

r = 1 + sin = 1 cos +
2
Therefore the graph of r = 1 + sin is the rotation of the graph of r = 1 cos . Hence the length of the
cardioid r = 1 + sin is 8 by the previous Example.
Solution 2: The full length of the cardioid is given by the parameter interval 0 2, so Formula 5
gives
s
2
Z 2
dr
2
L=
d
r +
d
0
Z 2 p
=
(1 + sin )2 + cos2 d
0
p
1 + 2 sin + sin2 + cos2 d
2 + 2 sin d
+ =u
r
Z 5/2

2
2

=
=
d =
2 2 cos +
2 2 cos udu
d
+
=
du
2
0
/2
2
d = du
Z 2
Z 5/2
Z 5/2
Z 5/2 r

u
u
u
2 u
2 sin du +
2 sin du
2 sin du =
=
4 sin du =
2
2
2
2
/2
2
/2
/2
Z 2
Z 5/2
u
u
=
2 sin du
2 sin du
2
2
/2
2
u i5/2
u i2
+ 4 cos
= 4 cos
2 /2
2 2

5

+ 4 cos
4 cos
= 4 cos + 4 cos
4
4
= (4 + 2 2) + (2 2 + 4) = 8
Z
10
Solution 3: The full length of the cardioid is given by the parameter interval 0 2, so Formula 5
gives
s
2
Z 2
Z 2 p
Z 2 p
dr
2
2
2
L =
d =
r +
(1 + sin ) + cos d =
1 + 2 sin + sin2 + cos2 d
d
0
0
0
Z 2
Z 2
Z 2 1 + sin 1 sin
2 + 2 sin d = 2
1 + sin d = 2
=
d
1 sin
0
0
0
Z 2 p
Z 2
Z 2 | cos |
1 sin2
cos2
d = 2
d = 2
d
= 2
1 sin
1 sin
1 sin
0
0
0
Z /2
Z 3/2
Z 2
cos
cos
cos
= 2
d 2
d + 2
d
1 sin
1 sin
1 sin
0
/2
3/2
Note that
1 sin = u
d(1 sin ) = du
cos
d =
cos d = du
1 sin
cos d = du
Z
Z
1/2+1
du
= = u1/2 du = u
+C
u
1/2 + 1
= 2 u + C
= 2 1 sin + C
Therefore
i/2
i3/2
i2

+ 2 2 1 sin
2 2 1 sin
L = 2 2 1 sin
/2

p
1 sin(/2) 1 sin 0
= 2 2

p
p
1 sin(3/2) 1 sin(/2)
+2 2

p
p
2 2
1 sin(2) 1 sin(3/2)

= 2 2 (0 1) + 2 2 2 0 2 2 1 2
=2 2+42 2+4 =8
11
3/2

Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

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Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

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Section 9.

4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka