Handout#5 (p.

3/3)

The slope 𝑚𝐿𝑇 of a line tangent to a polar curve 𝑟 = 𝑓(𝜃) at some angle 𝜃 = 𝛼 :
𝑓′ (𝛼) sin 𝛼+𝑓(𝛼) cos 𝛼
𝑚𝐿𝑇 =
𝑓′ (𝛼) cos 𝛼−𝑓(𝛼) sin 𝛼

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Exercise IV.
𝜋 1
1. Find the slope of the tangent line to the rose 𝑟 = sin(3𝜃) at 𝜃 = . (ans. )
4 2
2. In the polar curve 𝑟 = 3 − 2 sin 𝜃, determine all values of 𝜃 at which the polar has horizontal and vertical
tangent lines.

AREA OF A REGION FOR POLAR GRAPHS

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Theorem. Let 𝑅 be the region bounded by the lines 𝜃 = 𝛼 and 𝜃 = 𝛽 and the curve whose equation is 𝑟 =
𝑓(𝜃), where 𝑓 is continuous and nonnegative on the closed interval [𝛼, 𝛽]. Then if 𝐴 square units is the area of
region 𝑅,
𝟏
𝑨 = 𝐥𝐢𝐦 ∑𝒏𝒊=𝟏 𝟐 [𝒇(𝒘𝒊 )]𝟐 ∆𝒊 𝜽
‖∆‖→𝟎
𝟏 𝜷
= ∫ [𝒇(𝜽)]𝟐 𝒅𝜽
𝟐 𝜶

Proof. Let the function 𝑓 be continuous and nonnegative on the closed interval [𝛼, 𝛽]. Let 𝑅 be the region
bounded by the lines 𝜃 = 𝛼 and 𝜃 = 𝛽. Then the region 𝑅 is the region 𝐴𝑂𝐵 as shown.
Consider a partition ∆ of [𝛼, 𝛽] defined by 𝛼 = 𝜃0 < 𝜃1 < 𝜃2 < ⋯ < 𝜃𝑖−1 < 𝜃𝑖 < ⋯ < 𝜃𝑛−1 < 𝜃𝑛 = 𝛽.
Thus we have 𝑛 subintervals of the form [𝜃𝑖−1 , 𝜃𝑖 ], 𝑖 = 1,2, … 𝑛. Let 𝑤𝑖 be a value of 𝜃 in the 𝑖th subinterval
[𝜃𝑖−1 , 𝜃𝑖 ], and denote by ∆𝑖 𝜃 the radian measure of the angle between the lines 𝜃 = 𝜃𝑖−1 and 𝜃 = 𝜃𝑖 .
1
Then, the area of the circular sector of radius 𝑓(𝑤𝑖 ) units and central angle ∆𝑖 𝜃 is given by [𝑓(𝑤𝑖 )]2 ∆𝑖 𝜃.
2
There is such a circular sector for each of the 𝑛 subintervals, and, the sum of the measure of the areas of
1
these 𝑛 circular sectors is ∑𝑛𝑖=1 2 [𝑓(𝑤𝑖 )]2 ∆𝑖 𝜃. The limit of this Riemann sum as the norm ‖∆‖ of the partition ∆
approaches 0 is the area of the region 𝑅, which is a definite integral as stated in the theorem. ∎

Exercise V. Find the area of the region bounded by the cardioid 𝑟 = 2 + 2 cos 𝜃 . (ans. 6𝜋 )

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Consider the region bounded by the lines 𝜃 = 𝛼 and 𝜃 = 𝛽 and the two curves whose equations are
𝑟 = 𝑓(𝜃) and = 𝑔(𝜃) , where 𝑓 and 𝑔 are continuous on the closed interval [𝛼, 𝛽] and 𝑓(𝜃) ≥ 𝑔(𝜃) on [𝛼, 𝛽], as
shown. To find the area of this region, we take a partition of the interval [𝛼, 𝛽] with 𝑤𝑖 a value of 𝜃 in the 𝑖th
subinterval [𝜃𝑖−1 , 𝜃𝑖 ]. The area of an element is the difference of the measures of the area of the two circular
1 1 1
sectors as follows: [𝑓(𝑤𝑖 )]2 ∆𝑖 𝜃 − 2 [𝑔(𝑤𝑖 )]2 ∆𝑖 𝜃 = 2 ([𝑓(𝑤𝑖 )]2 − [𝑔(𝑤𝑖 )]2 )∆𝑖 𝜃.
2
1
The sum of the measures of the areas of 𝑛 such elements is given by ∑𝑛𝑖=1 2 ([𝑓(𝑤𝑖 )]2 − [𝑔(𝑤𝑖 )]2 )∆𝑖 𝜃 .
Thus,
𝟏
𝑨 = 𝐥𝐢𝐦 ∑𝒏𝒊=𝟏 𝟐 ([𝒇(𝒘𝒊 )]𝟐 − [𝒈(𝒘𝒊 )]𝟐 )∆𝒊 𝜽
‖∆‖→𝟎
𝟏 𝜷
= ∫ ([𝒇(𝜽)]𝟐
𝟐 𝜶
− [𝒈(𝜽)]𝟐 )𝒅𝜽.

Exercise VI. Find the area of the region inside the circle 𝑟 = 3 sin 𝜃 and outside the limacon 𝑟 = 2 − sin 𝜃.
(ans. 3√3 )
LENGTH OF ARC OF POLAR CURVES
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Theorem: The length of a curve with polar equation 𝑟 = 𝑓(𝜃) , 𝛼 ≤ 𝜃 ≤ 𝛽 is

𝜷 𝒅𝒓 𝟐
𝑳 = ∫𝜶 √𝒓𝟐 + ( ) 𝒅𝜽
𝒅𝜽

Exercise VII. Find the length of the cardioid 𝑟 = 1 + sin 𝜃 .