DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS & STATISTICS

MATH1011 MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS

PRACTICAL CLASS 9 – WEEK 10

Change of coordinates, Parameterisation of curves,

Path integrals

Summary of what you have learned

• Change of coordinates in double and triple integrals

• Parameterisation of curves
• Path integrals

Basic questions
Exercise 1. Convert √
2
Z1 Z1−y
x2 + y 2 dx dy
−1 −
√
1−y 2

to polar coordinates, and hence evaluate the double integral.

Solution: The region is

p p
R = {(x, y) | −1 ≤ y ≤ 1, − 1 − y 2 ≤ x ≤ 1 − y 2 }
= {(x, y) | −1 ≤ y ≤ 1, x2 + y 2 ≤ 1}.
Hence the region is the unit disc around the origin: in polar coordinates
S = {(r, θ)|0 ≤ r ≤ 1, 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π}.
The function we integrate is r2 and the density correction is r, thus the integral becomes
Z2π Z1 Z2π Z1
r2 · r dr dθ = r3 dr dθ.
0 0 0 0
Then
Z2π Z1 Z2π  1 Z2π
3 1 4 1 π
r dr dθ = r dθ = dθ = .
4 0 4 2
0 0 0 0

Exercise 2. Let R be the region in the (x, y)−plane between the circles x2 + y 2 = 1 and x2 + y 2 = 9.
Let f (x, y) = x2 + y 2 − 2y.

1
2

(a) Write the following integral in terms of polar coordinates:

ZZ
I= f (x, y) dA.
R
math1011 multivariate calculus 1

Solution:
y

r=3

r=1

With x = r cos θ, y = r sin θ, and remembering that for this coordinate transformation
the Jacobian is r, we have
Z3 Z2π Z3 Z2π
2
I= (r − 2r sin θ) · r dθ dr = r3 − 2r2 sin θ dθ dr.
1 0 1 0

(b) Evaluate I.

Solution:
Z3
 3 2π
I= r θ + 2r2 cos θ 0 dr
1
Z3 3
r4

3
= 2π r dθ = 2π = 40π.
4 1
1
Note that integrating over r first leads to longer computations:

Z2π  3 Z2π    
1 4 2 3 81 1 2
I= r − r sin θ dθ = − 18 sin θ − − sin θ dθ
4 3 1 4 4 3
0 0
Z2π  2π
52 52
= 20 − sin θ dθ = 20θ + cos θ = 40π.
3 3 0
0

Exercise 3. Use cylindrical coordinates to evaluate

ZZZ
x2 dV
R
 3

over the solid R bounded by the two paraboloids z = 2 − x2 − y 2 and z = x2 + y 2 .

Solution: First we find the intersection of the two paraboloids by solving the equation:
2 − x2 − y 2 = x2 + y 2
that is x2 + y 2 = 1.
Hence the intersection is a circle of radius 1, which lies in the plane z = 1. The projection of the
solid on the xy−plane is a disk about the origin of radius 1.
z

x y
In Cartesian coordinates we have
R = {(x, y, z) : x2 + y 2 ≤ 1 , x2 + y 2 ≤ z ≤ 2 − x2 − y 2 }.
In cylindrical coordinates, x = r cos θ, y = sin θ, z = z, the representation of R is
S = {(r, θ, z) : 0 ≤ r ≤ 1 , 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π , r2 ≤ z ≤ 2 − r2 }.
Hence
ZZZ Z 2
Z2π Z1 2−r Z 2
Z2π Z1 2−r
x2 dV = r2 cos2 θ · r dz dr dθ = r3 cos2 θ dz dr dθ
R 0 0 r2 0 0 r2
Z2π Z1 Z2π Z1
2 3 2
= (2 − 2r )r cos θ dr dθ = 2 (r3 − r5 ) cos2 θ dr dθ
0 0 0 0
Z2π  6 1 Z2π
r4 r

1 1 + cos(2θ)
=2 − cos2 θ dθ = dθ
4 6 0 6 2
0 0
sin(2θ) 2π
 
1 π
= θ+ =
12 2 0 6

Exercise 4. Use spherical coordinates to integrate

1
f (x, y, z) = p
x + y2 + z2
2

over the ball B : x2 + y 2 + z 2 ≤ 4.

4

Solution: The region is a sphere of radius 2, and in spherical coordinates x = ρ cos θ sin ϕ,
1
y = ρ sin θ sin ϕ, z = ρ cos ϕ we have f (x, y, z) = and 0 ≤ ρ ≤ 2. Therefore:
ρ
2π π 2 Z2π Zπ Z2
1 2
ZZZ Z Z Z
f (x, y, z) dV = · ρ sin ϕ dρ dϕ dθ = ρ sin ϕ dρ dϕ dθ
ρ
B 0 0 0 0 0 0
Z2π Zπ  2 Z2π Zπ
1 2
= ρ sin ϕ dϕ dθ = 2 sin ϕ dϕ dθ
2 0
0 0 0 0
Z2π Z2π
π
= 2 [− cos ϕ]0 dθ = 4 1 dθ = 4 · 2π = 8π.
0 0

Exercise 5. Find a parametric form for each of the following curves.

(1) in R2 : the straight line from (−1, 1) to (2, 0); starting point (−1, 1).

(2) in R2 : the quarter-circle with equation x2 + y 2 = 9, x ≤ 0, y ≤ 0; starting point (−3, 0).

(3) in R2 : the circle of radius 1 centered at (2, 3); starting at (3, 3) and going anti-clockwise.

Solution:
(1) Let the parameter be t with 0 ≤ t ≤ 1. A suitable parameterisation is
         
x(t) −1 2 −1 −1 + 3t
r(t) = = +t − = , t ∈ [0, 1].
y(t) 1 0 1 1−t

(2) For this one think in terms of polar coordinates, so

     
x(t) 3 cos t 3π
r(t) = = , t ∈ π, .
y(t) 3 sin t 2

(3) For this one think in terms of polar coordinates but translated to the point (2, 3), so
       
x(t) 2 cos t 2 + cos t
r(t) = = + = , t ∈ [0, 2π].
y(t) 3 sin t 3 + sin t
Alternatively, this is a circle with equation (x − 2)2 + (y − 3)3 = 1 so we can set x − 2 = cos t
and y − 3 = sin t.

Exercise 6. Find the lengths of the curves of R3 given in parametric form by:

2 √ 3/2 1 2
 
(1) r(t) = t, 2t , t , t ∈ [1, 2].
3 2 h πi
(2) r(t) = (cos t, 2t, − sin t), t ∈ 0, .
√ 2
(3) r(t) = ( 2t, et , e−t ), t ∈ [0, 1].
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Solution:
√
(1) Here we have ṙ(t) = (1, 2t1/2 , t). Hence
Z2 p Z2 p Z2
1 2 2 5
 
L= 2
1 + 2t + t dt = 2
(1 + t) dt = 1 + t dt = t + t = .
2 1 2
1 1 1

(2) Here we have ṙ(t) = (− sin t, 2, − cos t). Hence

Zπ/2p Zπ/2√ √
2 2
5π
L= (− sin t) + 4 + (− cos t) dt = 5 dt = .
2
0 0

√
(3) Here we have ṙ(t) = ( 2, et , −e−t ). Hence
Z1 q √ Z1 p Z1
L= ( 2)2 + (et )2 + (e−t )2 dt = (et + e−t )2 dt = et + e−t dt = e − e−1 .
0 0 0

Exercise 7. Find an integral which gives the length of the ellipse with parametric form x(t) =
2 cos t, y(t) = 3 sin t, t ∈ [0, 2π]. Do not attempt to evaluate this integral (because you can’t!).

Solution: A parametric form for the ellipse is

     
x(t) 2 cos t −2 sin t
r(t) = = , t ∈ [0, 2π] so ṙ(t) = .
y(t) 3 sin t 3 cos t
The length of the ellipse is given by
Z2π p Z2π p
2 2
(−2 sin t) + (3 cos t) dt = 4 + 5 cos2 t dt.
0 0
This integral is not at all easy to evaluate!

Conceptual understanding
Exercise 8. Use a triple integral to find the volume of the solid T inside the ellipsoid 4x2 +4y 2 +z 2 =
64 and outside the cylinder x2 + y 2 = 4.

Solution: Clearly the projection of the solid cylinder x2 + y 2 ≤ 4 on the xy−plane is the
disk D : x2 + y 2 ≤ 4, while the projection of the solid ellipsoid 4x2 + 4y 2 + z 2 ≤ 64 is the disk
E : 4x2 + 4y 2 ≤ 64, that is x2 + y 2 ≤ 16. Let R be the ring between the two disks:
R = {(x, y) : 4 ≤ x2 + y 2 ≤ 16}.
Then p p
T = {(x, y, z) : (x, y) ∈ R, − 64 − 4x2 − 4y 2 ≤ z ≤ 64 − 4x2 − 4y 2 }
6

and therefore
 √ 
2 2
ZZZ ZZ Z −4y
64−4x
 
Vol(T ) = 1 dV =  1 dz 
 dA
√

T R − 64−4x2 −4y 2

ZZ p ZZ p
= 2 2
2 64 − 4x − 4y dA = 2 64 − 4(x2 + y 2 ) dA.
R R
To evaluate the double integral, we use polar change of coordinates so that R is defined by 2 ≤ r ≤ 4,
hence
ZZ p Z2π Z4 p
Vol(T ) = 2 2 2
64 − 4(x + y ) dA = 2 64 − 4r2 · r dr dθ.
R 0 2
Now, using a simple substitution we can show that
2
Z p

3/2
r 64 − 4r2 dr = − 16 − r2 +C
3
hence
Z2π  4 Z2π √
2 2 3/2 2 3/2
Vol(T ) = 2 − (16 − r ) dθ = 2 12 dθ = 64π 3.
3 2 3
0 0
We could also simply change the triple integral to cylindrical coordinates so that T is described
as: p p
T = {(rθ, a) : 2 ≤ r ≤ 4, 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π, −2 16 − r2 ≤ z ≤ 2 16 − r2 }

Exercise 9. Use polar coordinates to evaluate the double integral

ZZ
cos x2 + y 2 dA

where the region R is R = {(x, y) : 1 ≤ x + y 2 ≤ 4, y ≤ x, y ≥ −x}.

2

math1011 multivariate calculus 1

Solution:
y

y=x

r=1 r=2
x

y= x
 7

With x = r cos θ, y = r sin θ, and remembering that for this coordinate transformation the
Jacobian is r, we have
ZZ Zπ/4 Z2 Zπ/4 Z2
cos x2 + y 2 2
r cos r2 dr dθ.




dA = cos r · r dr dθ =
R −π/4 1 −π/4 1

Now, using a simple substitution we can show that

1
Z
r cos r2 dr = sin r2 + C



2
hence
Zπ/4 Z2 Zπ/4  Zπ/4

2

2

1 2 1 1 π
r cos r dr dθ = sin r dθ = sin(4) − sin(1) dθ = [sin(4) − sin(1)] .
2 1 2 2 4
−π/4 1 −π/4 −π/4

Exercise 10. Determine

ZZZ
x2 + y 2 dV
R

for the solid R bounded by the surfaces x ≥ 0, y ≥ 0, z ≥ 0 and x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4.

Solution: Observe that the solid is the portion of a ball of radius 2 contained in the first octant.
Its representation in spherical coordinates is
n π πo
S = (ρ, θ, ϕ) | 0 ≤ ρ ≤ 2, 0 ≤ θ ≤ , 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ .
2 2
Since x2 + y 2 = ρ2 sin2 ϕ we have
π π
Z2 Zπ/2Z2 Z2 Zπ/2 2
ρ5
ZZZ
2 2 2 2 2
x + y dV = ρ sin ϕ · ρ sin ϕ dρ dθ dϕ = sin3 ϕ dθ dϕ
5 0
R 0 0 0 0 0
π
Z2 Zπ/2 Zπ
32 3 16π
= sin ϕ dθ dϕ = (1 − cos2 ϕ) sin ϕ dϕ
5 5
0 0 0
π
2 π
cos3 ϕ 2

16π 16π
Z
2
= sin ϕ − cos ϕ sin ϕ dϕ = − cos ϕ +
5 5 3 0
0
16π 2 32π
= · =
5 3 15

Some additional (hard) exercises

Exercise 11. The concrete dome of the Australian Academy of Science building in Canberra is a
section of a spherical shell, as shown below.
8

60m z

60m x

The main roof, without the supporting columns, is a section of a sphere of 60 m radius. The base of
the section has radius 30 m. We wish to compute the mass of the roof, given that the average thickness
of the roof is 10 cm and that concrete used has a density of 1, 300 kg/m3 .

(a) Compute the volume of the cone shaped solid which lies inside a sphere of radius 60 m and below
the roof section, as shown shaded in the diagram above. Express the volume as a triple integral
in spherical coordinates and compute it up to three decimal places.

Solution: The cone is embedded into a sphere of radius 60 m, and hence we have
to consider points in the cone at distance ρ from the origin, where 0 ≤ ρ ≤ 60. The cone
projects onto a full circle of radius 30 m onto the xy−plane, thus we have 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π.
Finally, we have to compute the angle ϕ between the z-axis and the sides of the cone. A
point on the cone furthest away from
 the z-axis has distance 30 m from the z-axis and 60 m
−1 30 π
from the origin. Hence, ϕ ≤ sin = . Since the limits are all constants the integrals
60 6
can be computed in any order. Thus the points inside the cone are
n πo
S = (ρ, θ, ϕ) | 0 ≤ ρ ≤ 60, 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π, 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ .
6
The volume V1 in m3 of the cone, computed in spherical coordinates, is
Zπ/6Z2π Z60
V1 = 1 · ρ2 sin ϕ dρ dθ dϕ
0 0 0
π √
= (60)3 (2 − 3) ≈ 60, 608.679.
3

(b) Compute the volume (up to three decimal places) of concrete roof by subtracting from the vol-
ume of the cone just calculated the volume of a smaller cone.
[Hint: You only need to adjust the limits of the integration over ρ.]

Solution: We now compute the volume of a cone which lies inside the previously
considered cone, but whose points are at most at distance 60 − 0.1 = 59.9 m from the origin.
 9

The volume, V2 of this cone measured in m2 is

Zπ/6Z2π Z
59.9

V2 = 1 · ρ2 sin ϕ dρ dθ dϕ
0 0 0
π √
= (59.9)3 (2 − 3) ≈ 60, 306.141.
3
Thus the volume of concrete in the roof is approximately
π √   π √
V1 − V2 = (2 − 3) 603 − (59.9)3 = (2 − 3) × 1078.201 ≈ 302.538 m3 .
3 3

(c) Compute the mass (to the nearest kg) of concrete in the roof.

Solution: The mass is 1300 kg/m3 × 302.538 m3 ≈ 393, 299 kg, about 393 tonnes.

Exercise 12. Find the centre of mass of the solid T inside the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = a2 (a > 0) and
above the plane z = 0, if the density at p
any point of T is proportional to its distance from the origin, that
is the density function is d(x, y, z) = K x2 + y 2 + z 2 for some K > 0.

Solution: The mass of the solid is

ZZZ p
M= K x2 + y 2 + z 2 dV.
T
To evaluate the integral it is convenient to use spherical change of coordinates. Then the representation
of T is n πo
E = (ρ, ϕ, θ) : 0 ≤ ρ ≤ a, 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π, 0 ≤ ϕ ≤ .
2
Hence
ZZZ Za Zπ/2Z2π
2
M =K ρ · ρ sin ϕ dV = K ρ3 sin ϕ dθ dϕ dρ
E 0 0 0
Za Zπ/2 Za
Kπ  4 a Kπa4
= 2Kπ ρ3 sin ϕ dϕ dρ = 2Kπ ρ3 dρ = ρ 0= .
2 2
0 0 0
For the centre of mass (x0 , y0 , z0 ) we have:
1
ZZZ ZZZ p
Myz K
x0 = = xd(x, y, z) dV = x x2 + y 2 + z 2 dV
M M M
T T

ZZZ Za Zπ/2Z2π
K K
= ρ sin ϕ cos θ · ρ · ρ2 sin ϕ dρ dϕ dθ = ρ4 sin2 ϕ cos θ dθ dϕ dρ
M M
E 0 0 0
Za Zπ/2
K
= ρ4 sin2 ϕ [sin θ]2π
0 dϕ dρ = 0.
M
0 0
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In a similar way one gets y0 = 0. (Note that one can derive that x0 = y0 = 0 without any calculations,
using the symmetry properties of the solid and the density function d(x, y, z).)
Finally,
ZZZ p ZZZ
Mxy K K
z0 = = 2 2 2
z x + y + z dV = ρ cos ϕ · ρ · ρ2 sin ϕ dρ dθ dϕ
M M M
T E
Za Zπ/2 Za π/2
sin2 ϕ

2Kπ 2Kπ
= ρ4 sin ϕ cos ϕ dϕ dρ = ρ4 dρ
M M 2 0
0 0 0
Za
Kπ Kπa5 2Kπa5 2
= ρ4 dρ = = = a.
M 5M 5Kπa4 5
0
2
Thus the center of mass is (0, 0, a).
5

Exercise 13. Find the volume of the solid T inside the sphere x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 and outside the
cylinder x2 + y 2 = x.

Solution: Clearly Vol(T ) = Vol(B) − Vol(E), where B is the ball x2 + y 2 + z 2 ≤ 1 and E is

the solid inside the sphere and the cylinder.
The representation of B in spherical coordinates is R = [0, 1] × [0, 2π] × [0, π], so we have
ZZZ ZZZ
Vol(B) = 1 dV = ρ2 sin ϕ dρ dθ dϕ
B R
Z1 Zπ Z2π
4π
= ρ2 sin ϕ dρ dθ dϕ = .
3
0 0 0
To find, Vol(E), notice that Vol(E) = 2Vol(E+ ), where E+ is the part of E above the plane z = 0.
Clearly, p
E+ = {(x, y, z) : (x, y) ∈ D, 0 ≤ z ≤ 1 − x2 − y 2 }
where D = {(x, y) : x2 + y 2 ≤ x}. Thus,
ZZ p ZZ p
Vol(E) = 2Vol(E+ ) = 2 1 − x2 − y 2 dA = 4 1 − x2 − y 2 dA
D D+

where
D+ = {(x, y) ∈ D : y ≥ 0, x2 + y 2 ≤ x}
is the upper-half of D. In polar coordinates the condition x2 +y 2 ≤ x is r2 ≤ r cos θ which is equivalent
to r ≤ cos θ. Thus, the representation of D+ in polar coordinates is
n π o
Q = (r, θ) : 0 ≤ θ ≤ , 0 ≤ r ≤ cos θ .
2
 11

Consequently,
ZZ p Zπ/2 cos
Z θ p
Vol(E) = 4 1 − x2 − y 2 dA = 4 r 1 − r2 dr dθ
D+ 0 0

Zπ/2 cos θ Zπ/2

1 4
=4 − (1 − r2 )3/2 dθ = 1 − sin3 θ dθ
3 0 3
0 0
Zπ/2 Zπ/2
4 4
= 1dθ − sin2 θ · sin θ dθ
3 3
0 0
Zπ/2 Zπ/2 Zπ/2
2π 4 2 2π 4 4
= − (1 − cos θ) · sin θ dθ = − sin θ dθ + cos2 θ sin θ dθ
3 3 3 3 3
0 0 0
2π 4 π/2 4  3 π/2 2π 4 4 2π 8
= + [cos θ]0 − cos θ 0 = − + = − .
3 3 9 3 3 9 3 9
Hence  
4π 2π 8 2π 8
Vol(T ) = Vol(B) − Vol(E) = − − = + .
3 3 9 3 9