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Applications of double and triple integrals

Moments and center of mass in 2D plane figures


Recall that we call a thin sheet of a plane region a lamina, and by thin we mean has no
thickness at all - we are looking at something that is purely a 2D area, and not a solid.
Despite that, we can associate a density with it, where instead of the usual density as mass per
unit volume, we use mass per unit surface area.

Define the region by the usual set R of points in the plane. If the figure has variable density
(x, y) [or (r,) in polar], we have a little chunk of mass given by m = (xi, yi)A, and a
total mass of

If density is constant, we can pull it through the integral and have m = A in the same way
wed have m = V .
We can also define moments about the x and y axes. These are sometimes called the first
moments and should not be confused with moment of inertia which is a bit different and a
topic for another day. These moments are just your moments in the sense of torque,
measuring the tendency to rotate around each of the axes. The lever arm is perpendicular to
the axis of rotation, and so

Example 1 :
THE MOMENT OF MASS ( FIRST MOMENT ) ABOUT Y-AXIS
A lamina bounded by x-axis, x = 1 and the curve y2 = x has density
total mass.
Solution

=
=[
=
=

(x, y) = x + y. Find its

From Example 1 :
The mass of lamina, =

= [
= [

= [
=[
=

]
]

] 0

Example 2 :
THE MOMENT OF MASS ( FIRST MOMENT ) ABOUT Y-AXIS
1.

Determine the first moment of a rectangular region, with sides of lengths a and b about
the side of length b.

Solution :
The first moment about the y-axis is given by
a

2.

x 2b
xb dx

2 0
1
a 2b
2

Find the first moment of area of the shaded part about the y-axis with all the given
information in the Figure.

Solution :
dMy = x dA
dA = h dx
h y a yb 4 x

x2
2

M y dMy x dA

x4

x 0

x2
x 4 x dx
2

x4

2x 2 x4

5
8

x 0
256

32
5
96

Example 3 :
1.

By using integration, find the first moment of area of the shaded part about the y-axis.

Solution :

The area of this strip as a thin rectangle the area is the product of the height times the base,
dA = h dx
where h is the difference in the value of the y-coordinate at the top and bottom ends of the
thin strip,
h = yt - yb = cos x - 0

The vertical strip of area in Figure about is at the same x-coordinate. Therefore, the first
moment of that little strip of area about the y-axis is just,
dMy = x dA

Adding the moments of all such vertical strips together gives,

M y dM y
x dA
x / 2

x cos x dx

x 0

x sin x cos x x 0

x / 2



sin cos 0 sin 0 cos 0
2
2 2

1 0 0 1
2

1
2
0.571

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