Applications of

multiple integrals
Application in mechanics
  Suppose we have a system of point masses and forces
acting on the masses. Specifically, suppose that for each
𝑖 = 1,2, … , 𝑛 we have a point mass 𝑚𝑖 whose position
in space at time t is given by the vector 𝑟𝑖 .. Assume
moreover that there is a force 𝑓𝑖 acting on this mass.
Thus according to Newton, we have
𝑑 2 𝑟𝑖
𝑓𝑖 = 𝑚𝑖 2
Some 𝑑𝑡

Applications for each 𝑖. Now sum these equations to get

2
𝑛 𝑛 𝑚𝑖 𝑑 𝑟𝑖
𝐹= σ𝑖=1 𝑓𝑖 =σ𝑖=1 2 , or
𝑑𝑡
𝑑 2 σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 𝑟𝑖
𝐹= 𝑀 2 σ𝑛 ,
𝑑𝑡 𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖

where 𝑀 = σ𝑛𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 .
 σ𝑛
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖 𝑟𝑖
 If we define 𝑹 by 𝑹 = σ𝑛
, then the equation
𝑖=1 𝑚𝑖
becomes
𝑑2 𝑹
𝐹= 𝑀 2. Thus the sum of the external forces on the
Some 𝑑𝑡
system of masses is the total mass times the acceleration
Applications of the mystical point 𝑹. This point 𝑹 is called the center of
mass of the system.
 In case the total mass is continuously distributed in
space, the "sum" in the equation for R becomes an
integral.
  Suppose we have a plate and the mass density of the plate at (x,y) is
given by ρ(x, y) . To find the center of mass of the plate, we
approximate its location by chopping it into a bunch of small pieces
and treating each of these pieces as a point mass.

Some
Applications
  Thus as we take smaller and smaller rectangles, etc., we
obtain for R, the location of the center of mass
∗ ∗
1
𝑅= ∗ ඵ 𝑥𝜌 𝑥, 𝑦 𝑑𝐴 𝒊 + ඵ 𝑦𝜌 𝑥, 𝑦 𝑑𝐴 𝒋
‫𝑥 𝜌 𝑃׭‬, 𝑦 𝑑𝐴
Some 𝑃 𝑃
 In other words, the coordinates (𝑥, 𝑦) of the center of mass
Applications of 𝑃 are given by
∗ ∗
‫𝑥 𝜌𝑥 𝑃׭‬,𝑦 𝑑𝐴 ‫𝑥 𝜌𝑦 𝑃׭‬,𝑦 𝑑𝐴
𝑥ҧ = , and 𝑦ത = ,
𝑀 𝑀

where 𝑀 = ‫𝑥 𝜌 𝑃׭‬, 𝑦 𝑑𝐴 is the total mass of the plate.

 Example
Let's find the center of mass of a plate having the shape of the plane region
enclosed by the triangle

Some
Applications
and having constant density (In this case, we say the mass uniformly
distributed over the region.)
 Solution
Suppose ρ(x, y) = k . First,
𝑥
. 𝑏 𝑏(1− ) 𝑎2 𝑏
‫𝜌𝑥 𝑇׭‬ 𝑥, 𝑦 𝑑𝐴 = 𝑘 ‫׬‬0 ‫׬‬0 𝑎 𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑥 = 𝑘
6
,

𝑦
. 𝑎 𝑎(1−𝑏) 𝑎𝑏2
and then ‫𝜌𝑦 𝑇׭‬ 𝑥, 𝑦 𝑑𝐴 = 𝑘 ‫׬‬0 ‫׬‬0 𝑦𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦 = 𝑘 .
Some 6

Applications Also, M=
.
‫𝐴𝑑𝑘 𝑇׭‬ =
. 𝑎𝑏
𝑘 ‫ 𝑘 = 𝐴𝑑 𝑇׭‬. Thus,
2
𝑎 𝑏
𝑥ҧ = , and 𝑦ത =
3 3
 1. Find the center of mass of a plate of density
𝜌(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑦 + 1 having the shape of the area bounded
by the line 𝑦 = 1 and the parabola y = 𝑥 2 .
2. Find the center of mass of the smaller of the two
Exercises regions cut from the elliptical region
𝑥 2 + 4 𝑦 2 = 12 by the parabola 𝑥 = 4 𝑦 2 if the density
𝜌(𝑥, 𝑦) = 5𝑥 .
3. Find the centroid of the semicircular region
{(x, y) ∈𝑅2 : 𝑥 2 + 4 𝑦 2 ≤ 𝑎2 , and y ≥ 0} .
 4. Find the centroid of the region bounded by the curves
𝑦2 = 2𝑥 , 𝑥 + 𝑦 = 4 , and 𝑦 = 0
5. Let 𝑫 be the region inside the circle 𝑥2 + 𝑦 − 𝑎 2 =
𝑎2 that lies below the line 𝑦 = 𝑎.
a) Find the centroid of 𝑫.
Exercises b) Find the point on the semicircular boundary of 𝑫 that is
closest to the centroid.
2 0 4 𝑥
6. The area of a region A is ‫׬‬0 ‫ 𝑥׬‬2 −4 dydx + ‫׬‬0 ‫׬‬0 dydx. Draw
a picture of the region.
  Assume that a vertical line through a point (𝑥, 𝑦) ∈ 𝑨 enters
𝑫 through the surface 𝑧 = 𝑔(𝑥, 𝑦) and exits through the
surface z = ℎ(𝑥, 𝑦). In other words, the blob D is the solid
above the region 𝑨 between the surfaces 𝑧 = 𝑔(𝑥, 𝑦) and
𝑧 = ℎ(𝑥, 𝑦) .
Procedure for ℎ(𝑥,𝑦)
 Now we simply integrate the integral ‫𝑥(𝑔׬‬,𝑦) 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 𝑑𝑧
3D integration over the region A:

# # ℎ(𝑥,𝑦)
ම 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 𝑑𝑉 = ඵ න 𝑓 𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧 𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝐴.
𝐷 𝐴 𝑔(𝑥,𝑦)
 Example

#
Let's find the
integral ‫𝐷׮‬ 𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 𝑑𝑉, where D is the
tetrahedron with vertices 0,0,0 , 1,0,0 , (0,2,0),
and (0,0,1).
Practice
 Solution
When we project D onto the x-y plane, the bottom of D is the surface z = 0
𝑦 𝑦
and the top of D is 𝑥 + + 𝑧 = 1 or 𝑧 = 1 − 𝑥 − . The projection is simply
2 2
the triangle. Our iterated integral is thus simply
# 1−𝑥−𝑦/2
‫׬ 𝐴׭‬0 (𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧)𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝐴.

Practice
 Solution
We now write the double integral over A as an iterated integral, and we have

# # 1−𝑥−𝑦/2
ම 𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 𝑑𝑉 = ඵ න (𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧)𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝐴
𝐷 𝐴 0

1 2(1−𝑥) 1−𝑥−𝑦/2
=න න න 𝑥 + 2𝑦 + 𝑧 𝑑𝑧𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑥
Practice 0 0 0

1
= ⋯ = 2.
 Notes

o First, if S is a solid, the volume V of the solid is simply

V = ‫𝑉𝑑 𝑆׮‬.
o If the mass density of a blob having the shape of S is 𝜌(𝑥, 𝑦, 𝑧) , then the
#
mass M of the blob is 𝑀 = ‫𝑥(𝜌 𝑆׮‬, 𝑦, 𝑧)𝑑𝑉.
o The location (𝑥,ҧ 𝑦ത , 𝑧)ҧ of the center of mass is given by
Few obvious
‫𝑥(𝜌𝑥 𝑆׮‬,𝑦,𝑧)𝑑𝑉
observations 𝑥=
ҧ
𝑀
‫𝑥(𝜌𝑦 𝑆׮‬,𝑦,𝑧)𝑑𝑉
𝑦=
ത
𝑀
‫𝑥(𝜌𝑧 𝑆׮‬,𝑦,𝑧)𝑑𝑉
𝑧=
ҧ
𝑀