FM Applications of Integration – 1.

Centroid of Area
The centroid of a body is its geometric centre. For an object made of uniform material, the centroid coincides
with the point at which the body can be supported in a perfectly balanced state – ie, its centre of mass. The
centre of mass for a distribution of weights in 2 dimensions are

x
m x i i
and y
m y i i

m i m i

These formulas can be generalised by using calculus to give the result below.

Centroid of two-dimensional figures

The centroid ( x , y ) of a plane figure y  f (x) bounded by the lines x = a and x = b satisfies:


Ax  xy dx
a
y = f(x)
b
Ay  y
1 2
and 2 dx
a
b
where 
A  y dx
a

δx
a b

Example 1
Find the coordinates of the centroid of the plane figure enclosed by the curve y = 4 – x2, the x- and y-axes and
the line x = 1.

Solution
1
 x3 
b 1
11
 The area of the figure is given by A   y dx   4  x 2 dx  4 x   
a 0  3 0 3
1
 2 x4 
b 1 1
7
 a  0   0   2 x   
2 3
xy dx x( 4 x ) dx 4 x x dx
 4 0 4
b 7
21
 
So, using Ax  xy dx we obtain x  
4
11
a 3 44
1
 x5 
b 1 1
dx   4  x  8 203
y dx   16  8 x  x dx  16 x  x 3 
2 2
  
2 2 4

a 0 0  3 5  0 15
b 1
 203
15  201
 Using Ay   y dx gives y  
1 2 2
2 11
a 3 110
 21 203 
 Hence, the coordinates of the centroid are  , 
 44 110 

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 1

Example 2
Find the coordinates of the centroid of the plane figure enclosed by the curve y = 3x2, the x-axis and the line x
= 1. [Ans: ( 34 , 10
9
)]

Example 3
Calculate the centroid of the triangle with vertices (0, h), (0, 0) and (a, 0). [Ans: (a/3, h/3)]

Example 4
Find the coordinates of the centroid of the uniform plane figure enclosed by the curves y = 3x2 and y = 4 – x2
and the y-axis.

Solution
 The required figure is the region below the
y=4– x2 curve y = 4 – x2 with the region below the
y = 3x2 curve y = 3x2 removed
 The required point of intersection of the curves
is given by 3x2 = 4 – x2  x = 1
 Using the answers from Egs 1 and 2, and
using x , y  for the centroids of the required
regions, a table can be formed using the
x=1 methods from mechanics

y = 3x2 Required y = 4 – x2  To find x-coordinate

shape
1  43    83  x   113  4421  x
3
Area 1 8 11 8
3 3
x-coordinate 3 x 21  To find y-coordinate
4 44
9 y 203
1  109    83  y   113  110
203
 y
11
y-coordinate 5
10 110

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 2

 FM Applications of Integration – [Link] of Volume
Centroids of solids of revolution
A solid of revolution is found by rotating a part of a curve y = f(x) through 360 around the x-axis. The
b


volume of a solid so formed is  y 2 dx . Its centroid, or geometric centre, will lie on the x-axis (by
a
symmetry) and have x-coordinate x satisfying:

b
V x   xy2 dx 
a

b
a b
where V   y 2 dx
a
δx

and y0

Example
The area enclosed by the curve y = x2 + 3, the x- and y-axes and the line x = 2 is rotated about the x-axis
through one complete revolution. Show that the centroid of the solid formed has x-coordinate 1.30.

Solution
y 2  x 2  3  x 4  6x 2  9
2

2 2
 V   y 2 dx   x 4  6 x 2  9  dx
0 0

  V

2 2 2
 V x   xy2 dx   xx 4  6 x 2  9  dx   x 5  6 x 3  9 x  dx
0 0 0

  V x

 Hence, x 

Standard results
The formulas for the centroid of a solid hemisphere and a solid cone or pyramid appear in the CIE formula
sheet.
3
Centre of mass of a solid hemisphere, radius r: r from centre
8

3
Centre of mass of a solid cone or pyramid of height h: h from vertex
4

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 3

Exercise
Q1. Calculate the centroids of area for the following curves between the limits given:

(i) y  x3 from x = 1 to x = 2

(ii) y  x2  1 from x = 0 to x = 1

(iii) y  cos x from x = 0 to x = 

2

(iv) y  ex from x = 0 to x = 1

Q2. Find the centroid of the area enclosed by the curves y = x and y = x2

Q3. Find the centroids of the volumes formed when the regions bounded by the following curves and the
x-axis are rotated through one complete revolution about the x-axis:

(i) y  x 2  2x

(ii) y  sin x from x = 0 to x = π

(iii) y  x3 from x = 0 to x = 1

(iv) y  1  x2 from x = 0 to x = 1

1
(v) y from x = 1 to x = 2
x

1
(vi) y from x = 1 to x = 2
x2

(vii) y  ex from x = 0 to x = 1

(viii) y  e x from x = 0 to x = 1

Answers
Q1 (i) (124/75, 254/105) (ii) (9/16, 7/10) (iii) (pi/2 – 1, pi/8) (iv) (1/(e – 1), (e + 1)/4)

Q2. (1/2, 2/5)

Q3 (i) (1, 0) (ii) (pi/2, 0) (iii) (7/8, 0) (iv) (5/8, 0)

(v) (2 ln2, 0) (vi) (9/7, 0) (vii) ((1+e2)/(2e2 – 2), 0) (viii) ((e2 – 3)/(2e2 – 2), 0)

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 4

FM Applications of Integration – [Link] Length Along A Curve
Arc length along a curve
Given a curve with equation y = f(x) the distance,
S, along the curve from x = x1 to x = x2 is given by:

x2
  dy  2  Arc length, L y = f(x)
L 
x1
 1     dx
  dx  
 
x1 x2
(See Gaulter & Gaulter p.250)

Example 1
Show that the length of the arc of the curve x3 = 3y2 from x = 1 to x = 4 is
1
9
64  7 7 . 
3x 3x 3x
[Note: You can use the substitution u 2  1 
4
or u  1 
4
to integrate
 1
4
dx ]

Arc length along a parametric curve

A curve may be expressed in terms of a parameter t in the form x = f(t) and y = g(t). According to the chain
 dt   dx   dy  
2 2 2 2 2
dy dy dt  dy   dy dt 
rule:   so 1     1             
dx dt dx  dx   dt dx   dx   dt   dt  

 dy 
2
 dt   dx   dy 
2 2   dy  2   dx 
2
 dy   dt 
2
Hence 1        
 dx   dx   dt   dt 
and   1     dx 
  dx  
 
         dx
 dt   dt   dx 

t2
  dx  2  dy  2 
Thus, the arc length along a parametric curve is given by: L  
t1
       dt
  dt   dt  
 
Example 2

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 5

A curve is given parametrically by x  e t cos t and y  e t sin t for 0  t   . Show that the length of the curve

is 2 e   1 .
Solution 2
 dxdt 2  e t cos t  e t sin t 2 
    e
dy 2
dt
t
sin t  e t cos t  
2

  dxdt 2  dydt 2  2 e 2t cos 2


t  sin 2 t  2 e t

 L  2 e t dt  2 e t   
0  
 2 e   1 as required.
0

Arc length along a polar curve


 2  dr  2 
If the curve is given in polar form, r = f(θ) then the arc length is L  

 r     d

  d  

Example 3
Show that the length of the circumference of the cardioid r  a1  cos  is 8a.

Example 4
Find the length of the arc of the polar curve r  ae for where   0 to 
[Ans: (a) 8a (b) a√2(e - 1) ]

Exercise Gaulter & Gaulter p.255 Exercise 12C Q 1, 2, 4, 8, 14, 16(i), 17(a, bi)

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 6

FM Applications of Integration – [Link] Surface Area of Revolution
Curved surface area of revolution
If the arc of a curve y = f(x) from x = x1 to x = x2 is
rotated through 360 around the x-axis, then the
surface area of the shape formed is given by:
y = f(x)

x2 2 x1 x2
 dy 
x

S x  2  y 1    dx
 dx 
1

(See Gaulter & Gaulter p.254)

Example 1
The arc of the curve y = x3 between x = 0 and x = 1 is rotated through 2 radians about the x-axis. Show that

the value of the surface area generated is (10 10  1) .
27

Curved surface area of revolution for a parametric curve

Using the same argument as above, the surface area of a curved surface of revolution of a parametric curve is
t2 2 2
 dx   dy 
given by:
t

S x  2  y      dt
dt
   dt 
1

Example 2
The parametric equations of a curve are x  a(t  sin t ) and y  a(1  cos t ) where a is a positive constant.

Show that dxdt 2  dydt 2  4a 2 sin 2 21 t  .

The arc of the curve between t = 0 and t = 2 is rotated completely about the x-axis. Show that the area of the
2
surface of revolution formed is given by 8a 2  1  cos  t sin t  dt and hence find this area. [Ans: 64a /3]
2 1 1 2
2 2
0

Exercise Gaulter & Gaulter p.255 Exercise 12C Q6(a – d, f), 11, 12, 13, 16(ii), 17b(ii), 18, 19, 20

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 7

 FM Applications of Integration – [Link] Value Theorem
b
The area under the curve y = f(x) from x = a to x = b is given by the integral  f ( x) dx .
a

The length of the interval is, of course, b – a, so it follows that the mean value of f(x) over this interval
satisfies:

b
mean value  b  a    f ( x) dx
a

b
1
Hence, the mean value of f(x) over the interval [a, b] =
ba  f ( x) dx
a

Examples
Find the mean values of the following functions over the given regions:

1. sin θ over the interval 0    

[Ans 2/]
2. 4x(x – 1)(x – 2) for 1    1

[Ans -4]
1
3. for 1
2 t 1
t

[Ans 2 ln 2]
4. cos 3  for 0    
2

[Ans 4/3]
1
5. for 1  x  0
x  1x  2

[Ans ln (4/3)]
x
6. xe for 1  x  2

[Ans e2]

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 8

 FM Applications of Integration – [Link] Exam Questions

Winter 2004

[6a2/5]

Winter 2002

Summer 2004

Summer 2004

[2880]

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 9

Summer 2003 Q11 Either

[((2e – 5)/(e – 2), (e2 – 5)/8e(e – 2))]

Winter 2003 Q11 Or

[14/3, (5√3)/8]

Summer 2003

FM Pure – Applications of Integration 10