II.

d Applications of Double Integrals

We have already considered applications of double integrals, in fact we actually

started with an application: finding the mass of a plate of variable density. We have
also found volumes of solids.

We consider here further applications. These are based on formulas which we

first obtain from localized cases, say for a particle. We then extend them to two

dimensional regions, by summing and taking limits (i.e., integrating) just like we
did before.

We recall the following: Suppose we have a particle of mass m positioned at

(x0 , y0 ). Then
y

x0 m ( x 0 , y0 )

y0
x

Mx = 1st moment with respect to the x-axis = my0 ,

My = 1st moment with respect to the y-axis = mx0 ,

Ix = 2nd moment (moment of inertia) with respect to the x-axis = my02 ,

Iy = 2nd moment (moment of inertia) with respect to the y-axis = mx20 ,

I0 = 2nd moment (moment of inertia) about the origin (polar moment) = m(x20 + y02 ).

Now let us suppose we are given a flat plate D with density (= mass/area)= f (x, y).
We wish to calculate its moments, center of mass, radius of gyration, etc.
123
 dA

We decompose the region D into subregions of area dA as shown. We then

find the mass of the subregion is

f (x, y) dA

and thus—as before—the total mass M of D is

ZZ
M= f (x, y) dA.
D

In the same way, for the subregion,

Mx = mass × lever arm = yf (x, y) dA

and thus the total Mx for D is obtained by summing over the subregions and taking

the limit, i.e., integrating. We find

ZZ
Mx = yf (x, y) dA.
D

In the same way,

ZZ
My = xf (x, y) dA
D
ZZ
Ix = y 2 f (x, y) dA
D
ZZ
Iy = x2 f (x, y) dA.
D
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Then the center of mass of D is (x, y), with x = My /M , y = Mx /M and the radius
of gyration is (x, y), with (x)2 = Iy /M , (y)2 = Ix /M .

Important Remarks: (1) The integrals should be evaluated in the simplest way
(depending on the boundary of D and/or the form of f (x, y)). I.e., either as dx dy
or as dy dx or in polar coordinates.

(2) If a plate D has constant density, then (x, y) are also the coordinates of the
centroid. Note that in this case f cancels out from the calculations of (x, y). If D is
symmetric, at least one of the coordinates of the centroid can often be guessed at.
Remember that if f is variable, the symmetry of D may not have any connections

with the position of the center of mass! Check that (x, y) calculated is physically
reasonable by noticing its position relative to D. The same check applies for the
centroid coordinates!

(3) Similar principles apply to other physical problems. Suppose, for example,
that the plate D is charged, and f (x, y) (= charge/area) now represents the charge
density. The total charge in a subregion dA is f (x, y) dA and then the total charge
Q on D is given by
ZZ
Q= f (x, y) dA.
D

We now pass to examples.

Example 1. Calculate the coordinates of the center of mass of the disc D bounded
by the circle x2 + y 2 = 2y, if the density is f (x, y) = 1 + y.

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Answer. The circle is x2 + (y − 1)2 = 1, of center (0, 1) and radius 1. The mass
then is

√
ZZ Z 2 Z + 1−(y−1)2
M= (1 + y) dA = √ (1 + y) dx dy
D y=0 x=− 1−(y−1)2

Z 2 p
= (1 + y) 2 1 − (y − 1)2 dy.
0

D
x

We could continue, but since the boundary is a circle and we would need trigono-
metric substitutions in the integrals, we switch to polar coordinates.

θ=π/2

r = 2 sin θ

θ=π θ=0

We then have

r 2 = 2r sin θ or r = 2 sin θ
126
and thus

ZZ Z π Z 2 sin θ
M= (1 + y) dA = (1 + r sin θ)r dr dθ.
D θ=0 r=0

This is much easier, and we get

π 2 sin θ
r2 r3
Z 
M= + sin θ dθ
0 2 3 r=0
π
4 sin2 θ 8
Z  
4
= + sin θ dθ
0 2 3
π
2
Z
= [1 − cos 2θ] + [1 − cos 2θ]2 dθ
0 3
Z π 
2 2
= (1 − cos 2θ) + (1 − 2 cos 2θ + cos 2θ) dθ
0 3
Z π  
2 1 cos 4θ
= (1 − cos 2θ) + 1 − 2 cos 2θ + + dθ
0 3 2 2
 
2 3
= 1+ · π = 2π.
3 2

In the same way,

ZZ Z π Z 2 sin θ
Mx = y(1 + y) dA = (r sin θ)(1 + r sin θ)r dr dθ
D 0 0
Z π Z 2 sin θ
= [r 2 sin θ + r 3 sin2 θ] dr dθ
0 0
π 2 sin θ
r3 r4
Z 
2
= sin θ + sin θ dθ
0 3 4 0
Z π 
8 4 6
= sin θ + 4 sin θ dθ
0 3
Z π(  2  3 )
8 1 − cos 2θ 1 − cos 2θ
= +4 dθ
0 3 2 2
Z π 
2 2 1 2 3
= (1 − 2 cos 2θ + cos 2θ) + (1 − 3 cos 2θ + 3 cos 2θ − cos 2θ) dθ.
0 3 2
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We note
π π
sin 2θ 
Z
cos 2θ dθ = =0
0 2 0
Z π Z π
2 1 + cos 2θ π
cos 2θ dθ = dθ =
0 0 2 2
Z π Z π
cos3 2θ dθ = (1 − sin2 2θ) cos 2θ dθ
0 0
π
sin 2θ sin3 2θ 
= − =0
2 6 0

and so
  π 
 
2 1 2 3
Z
2
Mx = + + + cos 2θ dθ
0 3 2 3 2
7 13 π 27
= π+ · = π,
6 6 2 12

while
ZZ Z π Z 2 sin θ
My = x(1 + y) dA = (r cos θ)(1 + r sin θ) r dr dθ
D 0 0
π
8 sin3 θ
Z  
5
= cos θ + 4 sin θ dθ
0 3
π
2 4 4 6 

= sin θ + sin θ  = 0.
3 6 0

And so

My Mx 27π 1 27
x= = 0, y= = = .
M M 12 2π 24

128
 To conclude, we see where this point is in the circle.
y

Since the density does not depend on x and increases with y, the location of x, y
seems reasonable. So it may be wrong, but it’s not silly.

Example 2. Find the coordinates of the center of mass of a lamina (i.e., flat plate)

in the shape of the triangle with vertices (0, 0), (0, 1), (1, 0), if the density at any
point is directly proportional to the square of the distance from the point to the
origin.

Answer. Let a point (x, y) be given. Then the density ρ(x, y) is given by

ρ(x, y) = k[(x − 0)2 + (y − 0)2 ] = k(x2 + y 2 )

where k = constant of proportionality.

y

(0,1)
y=1-x

x
(0,0) (1,0)

129
 Again (as before) we find

1 1−x 1 1−x
y3
Z Z  Z
2 2 2
M= k(x + y ) dy dx = k x y+ dx
x=0 y=0 x=0 3 0
Z 1 1
(1 − x)3
 3
x4 (1 − x)4

2 x
=k x (1 − x) + dx = k − −
0 3 3 4 4·3 0
     
1 1 1 2 k
=k − − − =k = ,
3 4 12 12 6
Z 1 Z 1−x
Mx = ky(x2 + y 2 ) dy dx
0 0
1 1−x Z 1  2
x2 y 2 y4 x (1 − x)2 (1 − x)4
Z  
= k + dx = k + dx
0 2 4 0 0 2 4
Z 1  2
x − 2x3 + x4 (1 − x)4
  
k 1 1 1 k 1
= k + dx = − + + ·
0 2 4 2 3 2 5 4 5
 
k 1 1 1 1 k·4
= − + + = ,
2 3 2 5 10 60
Z 1 Z 1−x Z 1 Z 1−x
2 2
My = kx(x + y ) dy dx = k(x3 + xy 2 ) dy dx
0 0 0 0
1 Z 1
3
x − 3x2 + 3x3 − x4
  
x(1 − x)
Z
3 3 4
= k x (1 − x) + dx = k x −x + dx
0 3 0 3
     
1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 4
=k − + −1+ − =k + =k .
4 5 3 2 4 5 20 3 20 60

So, finally,

My k4 6 2
x= = · =
M 60 k 5
Mx k4 6 2
y= = · = .
M 60 k 5

Again, x, y appear reasonable: the problem is completely symmetric in x and y,

and we got x = y. Furthermore, ( 52 , 52 ) is inside the the plate.

Example 3. Find the moments of inertia Ix , Iy , I0 for the lamina D bounded by

130
x = y 2 and x = 1, if the density ρ(x, y) = 1.

Answer.
y x=y2

x=1
x

We have
1 1 1 1
y3

4
Z Z Z
2
M= 1 dx dy = (1 − y ) dy = y − =
y=−1 x=y 2 −1 3 −1 3
Z 1 Z 1 Z 1
2
Ix = y dx dy = y 2 (1 − y 2 )dy
−1 y2 −1
1
y 3 y 5 
   
1 1 1 1 4
= −  = − − − + =
3 5 −1 3 5 3 5 15
Z 1 Z 1 Z 1  !
3 1
x 1 1
Z
2
Iy = x dx dy =  2 dy = 3
 (1 − y 6 ) dy
−1 y 2 −1 3 y −1
1
y7
      
1 1 1 1 1 6 4
= y− = 1− − −1 + = ·2 =
3 7 −1 3 7 7 3 7 7
4 4 88
I0 = I x + I y = + = .
15 7 105

So
r r r
Iy 4 3 3
x= = · =
M 7 4 7
r r r
Ix 4 3 3
y= = · = .
M 15 4 15

131
Further Exercises:

1) Find the center of mass of the plate bounded by y = x, x = 0, x2 + y 2 = 1 if

the density is proportional to the distance from the orgin.

2) Find the coordinates of the radius of gyration for the plate of example 1.

3) Find the coordinates of the center of mass of the plate bounded by the lines

x = 1, x = −1, y = 1, y = −1 if the density is given by 1 if y ≤ 0, by 2 if

y ≥ 0.

4) Find the center of mass of the region bounded by y+x2 −2x = 0 and y+2x = 0
if the density is x + 1.

5) A flat plate is bounded by the circle x2 +y 2 = 4 and the square x = 1, x = −1,

y = 1, y = −1. Calculate the mass if the density if k (a constant).

6) Calculate the mass of a plate whose boundary is the ellipse x2 + 4y 2 = 1 if

the density is k (a constant).

7) Find the radius of gyration for the plate of example 6.

8) Calculate the coordinates of the centroid of the region bounded by y = x,

y = (x − 2)/2, x = 0, y = 2 − x.

9) Find the moment of inertia of a plate, whose boundary is the circle x2 +y 2 = 1,

about the line y = −1 if the density is constant.

10) Find the mass of the plate bounded by x2 + y 2 = 1 and x2 + y 2 = 2y if the

p
density is ρ(x, y) = x2 + y 2 .

132