Chapter 15: Problem 6
Finding a centroid Find the centroid of the region between the \(x\) -axis and the arch \(y=\sin x, 0 \leq x \leq \pi\)
Short Answer
Expert verified
The centroid is at \(\left( \frac{\pi}{2}, \frac{\pi}{4} \right)\)."
Step by step solution
01
Understand the Centroid
To find the centroid of a region, we need to calculate the average location of the area. For a 2D region bounded by a curve from \(x = a\) to \(x = b\), the centroid \((\bar{x}, \bar{y})\) is given by the formulas:\[\bar{x} = \frac{1}{A} \int_a^b x f(x) \, dx\]\[\bar{y} = \frac{1}{A} \int_a^b \frac{f(x)^2}{2} \, dx\]where \(A\) is the area of the region.
02
Calculate the Area (A)
We first need to calculate the area \(A\) under the curve \(y = \sin x\) from \(x = 0\) to \(x = \pi\). This is done by integrating \(\sin x\) over the interval:\[A = \int_0^\pi \sin x \, dx\]The integral of \(\sin x\) is \(-\cos x\), so:\[A = [-\cos x]_0^\pi = -\cos(\pi) + \cos(0) = 2\]
03
Calculate \(\bar{x}\)
Use the formula for \(\bar{x}\):\[\bar{x} = \frac{1}{A} \int_0^\pi x \sin x \, dx\]Using integration by parts: let \(u = x\) and \(dv = \sin x \, dx\), then \(du = dx\) and \(v = -\cos x\). The integral becomes:\[\int x \sin x \, dx = -x \cos x + \int \cos x \, dx = -x \cos x + \sin x\]Evaluating this from 0 to \(\pi\):\[\int_0^\pi x \sin x \, dx = [-x \cos x + \sin x]_0^\pi = [0 + 0] - [0 + 0] = \pi\]So: \[\bar{x} = \frac{1}{2} \cdot \pi = \frac{\pi}{2}\]
04
Calculate \(\bar{y}\)
Use the formula for \(\bar{y}\):\[\bar{y} = \frac{1}{A} \int_0^\pi \frac{(\sin x)^2}{2} \, dx\]This is:\[= \frac{1}{2A} \int_0^\pi (1 - \cos(2x))/2 \, dx\] (using the identity \(\sin^2 x = \frac{1 - \cos(2x)}{2}\))\[= \frac{1}{4} \cdot \left[ x - \frac{1}{2} \sin(2x) \right]_0^\pi\]\[= \frac{1}{4} [\pi - 0] = \frac{\pi}{4}\]
05
Final Centroid Coordinates
The coordinates of the centroid are the values of \(\bar{x}\) and \(\bar{y}\) calculated previously:\(\bar{x} = \frac{\pi}{2}\) and \(\bar{y} = \frac{\pi}{4}\).Therefore, the centroid of the region is located at \(\left( \frac{\pi}{2}, \frac{\pi}{4} \right)\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Integration by Parts
Integration by Parts is a technique based on the product rule for differentiation. It's useful when integrating the product of two functions. The formula for Integration by Parts is:\[\int u \, dv = uv - \int v \, du\]Here:
- \(u\) is a function that we can differentiate easily.
- \(dv\) is a part of the integral we can integrate quickly.
- We differentiate \(u\) to get \(du = dx\).
- We integrate \(dv\) to get \(v = -\cos x\).
Area under Curve
The area under the curve is a fundamental concept in calculus. It represents the total space beneath a curve and above the x-axis between two points. For the curve \(y = \sin x\), the area \(A\) is found by computing the definite integral from 0 to \(\pi\):\[A = \int_0^\pi \sin x \, dx\]The integral \(\int \sin x \, dx\) leads to \(-\cos x\). At the limits, this results in:\[-\cos(\pi) + \cos(0) = 2\]Remember, calculating the area accurately is crucial for centroid problems because accurate values of \(A\) ensure correct calculations for \(\bar{x}\) and \(\bar{y}\). Without this prerequisite, centroid computations would be incorrect.
Trigonometric Integrals
Trigonometric Integrals can appear intimidating, but with the right identities and techniques, they become manageable. In calculating \(\bar{y}\), the integral involves \(\sin^2 x\), which is transformed using the identity:\(\sin^2 x = \frac{1 - \cos(2x)}{2}\)Implementing this change simplifies the integral:\[\frac{1}{2A} \int_0^\pi \left(\frac{1 - \cos(2x)}{2}\right) \, dx\]Further breaking down the integral into parts makes its evaluation easier. By evaluating over the interval \([0, \pi]\), the integral becomes manageable, yielding:\[\frac{\pi}{4}\]Such identities are invaluable for making the evaluation of trigonometric integrals straightforward. Knowing and applying these can be a fantastic simplifier when dealing with sinusoids and their powers.