Find the value of the integral by using an area formula from geometry?

1) the integral from 1/2 to 1 for sqrt(1- x^2)

2) The integral from 0 to 1 for sqrt (2 – x^2)

I know that the graph of these are circles and to use πr^2 but I don’t know how…? Thanks

Your teacher is being unnecessarily cruel by making you use the formula for the area of a circle to evaluate the integral. If you could argue that these are pie slices, it would be much easier, but they aren’t.

Look, the indefinate integral relative to x of sqrt(r^2 – x^2) is…
∫sqrt(r^2 – x^2) dx = 1/2*x^2*sqrt(r^2 – x^2) + 1/2*r^2*arctan(x/sqrt(r^2-x^2)) + C

Call this I(x) = 1/2*x^2*sqrt(r^2 – x^2) + 1/2*r^2*arctan(x/sqrt(r^2-x^2)) + C

Your arctangent function will return in radians, so have your mode set accordingly.

For part 1: r = 1. Plug in x=1 and x=1/2 to the indefinite integral result. Subtract I(1) – I(1/2) and you got your result. We do need to replace the arctangent function with Pi/2, because it is the arctangent of an expression containing division by zero. 0.8307 units^2 is the answer. The analytical answer is a mess, so no need to show.

For part 2: r = sqrt(2). Plug in x=1 and x=0 to the indefinite integral result. Subtract I(1) – I(0) and you got your result. 1/2 + Pi/4 gives you the answer, or 1.285 units^2.

2 Responses to “Find the value of the integral by using an area formula from geometry?”

  1. Your teacher is being unnecessarily cruel by making you use the formula for the area of a circle to evaluate the integral. If you could argue that these are pie slices, it would be much easier, but they aren’t.

    Look, the indefinate integral relative to x of sqrt(r^2 – x^2) is…
    ∫sqrt(r^2 – x^2) dx = 1/2*x^2*sqrt(r^2 – x^2) + 1/2*r^2*arctan(x/sqrt(r^2-x^2)) + C

    Call this I(x) = 1/2*x^2*sqrt(r^2 – x^2) + 1/2*r^2*arctan(x/sqrt(r^2-x^2)) + C

    Your arctangent function will return in radians, so have your mode set accordingly.

    For part 1: r = 1. Plug in x=1 and x=1/2 to the indefinite integral result. Subtract I(1) – I(1/2) and you got your result. We do need to replace the arctangent function with Pi/2, because it is the arctangent of an expression containing division by zero. 0.8307 units^2 is the answer. The analytical answer is a mess, so no need to show.

    For part 2: r = sqrt(2). Plug in x=1 and x=0 to the indefinite integral result. Subtract I(1) – I(0) and you got your result. 1/2 + Pi/4 gives you the answer, or 1.285 units^2.
    References :

  2. You should use formula for calculating area of circular segment

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_segment

    1) Integral gives area equal to half area of the circular segment for x from 1/2 to 1 of the unit circle.

    A = (1/2) ·(R²/2)·(θ – sin(θ))

    R = 1, θ = 120° = 2π/3

    A = (1/4) (2π/3 – sin(2π/3)) = (2π/3 – √3/2)/4 ≈ 0.307

    If you have doubts just give me a message. Good luck!
    References :
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circular_segment

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