Arc Length and Speed (from Section 11.

2)

Our Goal for Today:

To investigate properties of parametric curves by calculating the length
of a path and the speed of a particle travelling along it.

Our Classroom Norms:

1. Have a pen and paper ready to take notes
2. Ask questions, or write them down to ask later
3. Review the recording on Avenue if needed
 11.2 Arc Length

• The arc length of a curve C is defined by the limit

of the lengths of polygonal approximations of C.

• If a parametrization c(t) = (x (t), y(t)) directly traverses C on the interval a ≤ t ≤ b,

we can use to compute the arc length of C :

• We approximate L by selecting values t0 = a < t1 < ···< tN = b and joining the points
P0 = c(t0), P1 = c(t1), ... , PN = c(tN ) with linear segments

• If Li is the segment joining Pi −1 and Pi , then

𝐿𝑖 = 𝑥(𝑡𝑖 ) − 𝑥(𝑡𝑖−1 ) 2 + 𝑦(𝑡𝑖 ) − 𝑦(𝑡𝑖−1 ) 2

11.2 Arc Length, continued

• Assume x(t) and y(t) are differentiable on the interval a ≤ t ≤ b.

• By Mean Value Theorem, there are values 𝑡𝑖∗ and 𝑡𝑖∗∗ in the interval [ti −1, ti ] such that

𝑥 𝑡𝑖 − 𝑥(𝑡𝑖−1 ) = 𝑥′(𝑡𝑖∗ )∆𝑡𝑖 , 𝑦 𝑡𝑖 − 𝑦(𝑡𝑖−1 ) = 𝑦′(𝑡𝑖∗∗ )∆𝑡𝑖

• Therefore, 𝐿𝑖 = 𝑥′(𝑡𝑖∗ )2 ∆𝑡𝑖 2 + 𝑦′(𝑡𝑖∗∗ )2 ∆𝑡𝑖 2 = 𝑥′(𝑡𝑖∗ )2 + 𝑦′(𝑡𝑖∗∗ )2 ∆𝑡𝑖

• The total length of the polygonal approximation L is the sum of these lengths:
𝑁 𝑁

෍ 𝐿𝑖 = ෍ 𝑥′(𝑡𝑖∗ )2 + 𝑦′(𝑡𝑖∗∗ )2 ∆𝑡𝑖

𝑖=1 𝑖=1
11.2 Arc Length, continued again

• If 𝑥′(t ) and 𝑦′(t ) are continuous, then the sum in the previous equation still
approaches the integral as ∆ ti tend to 0. Thus,
𝑁 𝑏
𝑠 = lim ෍ 𝐿𝑖 = න 𝑥′(𝑡)2 + 𝑦′(𝑡)2 𝑑𝑡
∆𝑡𝑖 →0 𝑎
𝑖=1

THEOREM:Arc Length
Let c(t) = (x (t), y(t)) be a parametrization that directly traverses C for a ≤ t ≤ b. Assume
that 𝑥′(t) and 𝑦′(t) exist and are continuous. Then the arc length s of C is equal to
𝑏
𝑠=න 𝑥′(𝑡)2 + 𝑦′(𝑡)2 𝑑𝑡
𝑎
11.2 Example

Calculate the arc length of a circle of radius R.

11.2 Distance

• If a parametrization c(t) = (x (t), y(t)) does NOT directly traverses a curve, but 𝑥′(t)
and 𝑦′(t) both exist and are continuous, then the integral
𝑏
න 𝑥′(𝑡)2 + 𝑦′(𝑡)2 𝑑𝑡
𝑎
exists and describes the distance traveled along the path from t = a to t = b.

• This distance might not equal the length of the underlying curve!
11.2 Displacement

• The displacement (also called the net change in position)

along a path is the distance between the initial point c(t0)
and the endpoint c(t1).

• The distance traveled is greater than or equal to the displacement.

• When the particle moves in one direction on a line, distance traveled equals displacement.
11.2 Speed along a parametrized path

• Consider a particle moving along a path c(t). The distance traveled by the particle over
the time interval [t0, t ] is given by the arc length integral:
𝑡
𝑠(𝑡) = න 𝑥′(𝑢)2 + 𝑦′(𝑢)2 𝑑𝑢
𝑡0

• The speed of the particle is the rate of change of distance traveled with respect to time.
• Therefore, speed equals 𝑠′(t), and using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

THEOREM: The speed of c(t) = (x (t), y(t)) is given by

𝑑𝑠 𝑑 𝑡
speed = = න 𝑥′(𝑢)2 + 𝑦′(𝑢)2 𝑑𝑢 = 𝑥′(𝑡)2 + 𝑦′(𝑡)2
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑡0
11.2 Example

A particle travels along the path c(t) = (2t,1 + t 3/2). Find:

a. The particle’s speed at t = 1 (assume units of meters and seconds).
b. The distance traveled s and displacement d during the interval 0 ≤ t ≤ 4.
Overview
Key Ideas
• Arc length of C: If c(t) = (x(t), y(t)) directly traverses C for a < t < b, then
𝑏
𝑠=න 𝑥′(𝑡)2 + 𝑦′(𝑡)2 𝑑𝑡
𝑎

• This integral also describes the distance travelled by a particle along C for a < t < b
• The displacement of the particle is given by c(b)- c(a)
𝑑𝑠
• The speed of c(t) = (x (t), y(t)) is = 𝑥′(𝑡)2 + 𝑦′(𝑡)2
𝑑𝑡

For more information, please read Section 11.2 in our textbook