Chapter 5: Problem 82
Calculate $$\int \sin x \cos x d x$$ (a) Setting \(u=\sin x\) (b) Setting \(u=\cos x\) (c) Reconcile your answers to parts (a) and (b).
Short Answer
Expert verified
The integral of \(\sin x \cos x\) with respect to \(x\) can be solved using substitution. When setting \(u = \sin x\), the integral is \(\frac{1}{2}\sin^2 x + C_1\). When setting \(u = \cos x\), the integral is \(\frac{1}{2}\cos^2 x + C_2\). Although these integrals appear different, they differ by a constant factor and are therefore equivalent.
Step by step solution
01
Substitution Method: Setting u = sin(x)
(a) To substitute sin(x) with u, let's define:
\(u = \sin x\)
Now, we need to find the differential of u with respect to x which is:
\(\frac{d u}{d x} = \cos x\)
From this, we can write the differential dx in terms of du:
\(d x = \frac{d u}{\cos x}\)
Now, let's replace sin(x) and dx in the integral with the corresponding expressions in terms of u:
\(\int \sin x \cos x d x = \int u \cos x \frac{d u}{\cos x}\)
The cos(x) terms will cancel each other out, leaving us with:
\(\int u d u\)
Now we can integrate u with respect to u:
\(\int u d u = \frac{1}{2}u^2 + C\)
Now, let's replace u with sin(x) to get our final answer in terms of x:
\(\frac{1}{2}u^2 + C = \frac{1}{2}\sin^2 x + C_1\)
02
Substitution Method: Setting u = cos(x)
(b) To substitute cos(x) with u, let's define:
\(u = \cos x\)
Now, we need to find the differential of u with respect to x which is:
\(\frac{d u}{d x} = -\sin x\)
From this, we can write the differential dx in terms of du:
\(d x = \frac{d u}{-\sin x}\)
Now, let's replace cos(x) and dx in the integral with the corresponding expressions in terms of u:
\(\int \sin x \cos x d x = \int (-\sin x) u \frac{d u}{-\sin x}\)
The -sin(x) terms will cancel each other out, leaving us with:
\(\int u d u\)
Now we can integrate u with respect to u:
\(\int u d u = \frac{1}{2}u^2 + C\)
Now, let's replace u with cos(x) to get our final answer in terms of x:
\(\frac{1}{2}u^2 + C = \frac{1}{2}\cos^2 x + C_2\)
03
Reconciling Answers from Parts (a) and (b)
(c) Notice that the integrals in parts (a) and (b) are not equal. However, they differ by a constant factor. Let's find the relationship between them:
\(C_1 = \frac{1}{2}\sin^2 x + C\)
\(C_2 = \frac{1}{2}\cos^2 x + C\)
Sum the two equations to eliminate C:
\(C_1 + C_2 = \frac{1}{2}(\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x) + 2C\)
Given that \(\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x = 1\), we have:
\(C_1 + C_2 = \frac{1}{2}(1) + 2C\)
Hence, the two integrals are related by the following equation:
\(\frac{1}{2}(\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x) + C_1 = \frac{1}{2}(\sin^2 x + \cos^2 x) + C_2\)
The two solutions differ by some constant factor, and therefore, they are equivalent.
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Substitution Method
The substitution method is a very handy technique when integrating functions that seem too complicated at first glance. The basic idea is to replace a part of the integral with a new variable, often simplifying the integration process. Given an integral like \( \int \sin x \cos x \ dx \), it can be beneficial to use substitution to make the integral more manageable.
- **Choosing the Substitution**: This step is crucial. The best substitution makes the complex part of the integral much simpler. For example, in our problem, setting \( u = \sin x \) or \( u = \cos x \) are both viable substitutions because they relate directly to the original function components.
- **Differential Transformation**: Once you choose \( u \), find \( du/dx \) to express \( dx \) in terms of \( du \). This involves basic differentiation of the chosen \( u \).
- **Simplifying the Integral**: Substitute \( u \) and its differential into the integral. Often, factors cancel, simplifying the integral greatly.
- **Integrate and Back Substitute**: After integration, replace \( u \) with the original expression in terms of \( x \) to get the final answer in the initial variable.
Trigonometric Integration
Trigonometric integration focuses on integrating functions involving trigonometric functions like sine and cosine. In our example \( \int \sin x \cos x \ dx \), several trigonometric identities can simplify the integration process, especially when dealing directly with these types of functions.
- **Product of Sine and Cosine**: Integrals that involve products of sine and cosine are common in trigonometry. The formula \( \sin 2x = 2\sin x \cos x \) is particularly useful. Using identities can often reduce the work needed or present alternative solutions.
- **Even and Odd Powers**: When dealing with even or odd powers of sine and cosine, particular strategies such as using half-angle formulas can be helpful. For instance, expressing a sine squared or cosine squared function using half-angle identities can reveal simpler forms.
- **Flexibility in Methods**: Often, more than one approach can be taken - either using identities or substitution as seen in this example. This flexibility is key when tackling complex integrals.
Definite and Indefinite Integrals
Integrals come in two flavors: definite and indefinite. Understanding the distinction and when to use them is vital in calculus.
- **Indefinite Integrals**: These represent a family of functions and do not have bounds. They include an arbitrary constant \( C \), representing the vertical shift of the anti-derivative function. Integrating \( \sin x \cos x \) using substitution leads to an indefinite integral, characterized by a solution plus the constant \( C \).
- **Definite Integrals**: These provide a number instead of a function, bounding the integral over an interval \([a, b]\). When you compute a definite integral, you aren't just finding a general solution, but instead, you're calculating the area under the curve within the specified limits.
- **Physical Interpretation**: While indefinite integrals can be seen as finding anti-derivatives, definite integrals relate to accumulated quantities, such as areas under curves or total displacement given a velocity function.