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Objectives
Integrate a density function to find Total Population or Total Mass
Integrate or use Summation to find Center of Mass of a Substance with
Certain Density
Density
Density of population is measured in quantity per unit area or per unit
volume. For example, people per square mile, bacteria per cubic centimeter
(cc). Density of a substance is measured as mass per unit volume. For
example, grams per cubic centimeter.
a) City A
1. Since density is constant along a vertical strip, we divide the region
into vertical rectangular strips of width r, and height 2. So the
area of a strip is approximately 2r square miles.
2. The population per rectangular strip is approximately: (area of
slice in square miles)(density in people per square mile)
= 2r f (r)
3. The total population of City A is
Z 2
2f (r)dr people
0
b) City B
1. Since the density is constant along a ring around the center of the
city, we divide the region into rings of width x, and circumference 2x.
2. The area of each ring is approximately 2xx square miles.
3. The population per ring is approximately (area of slice in square
miles)(density in people per square mile)
= 2xg(x)x
4. Total population of City B is
Z 2
2xg(x)dx people
0
c) City C
1. Divide the line into subintervals of length q km.
2. The population per segment is approximately (length of segment)(density
in people per km)
= h(q)q
Example 2 A rod has length 2 meters. At a distance x meters from the left
endpoint of the rod, the density is given by (x) = 2 + 6x gm/m. Find the
total mass of the rod.
Solution. The total mass of the rod is given by
Z 2
2 + 6xdx
0
= 2x + 3x2 |20
= 4 + 12
= 16gm
Center of Mass
Finite Systems
Finding the center of mass of a finite system of n masses mi , along the x axis,
each located at coordinate xi can be thought of as finding where to put the
fulcrum of a see-saw to balance n people of weights mi located at position
xi .
Center of Mass = x =
Solution.
x =
Continuous Systems
Let (x) be the mass density (mass per unit length) at a point x. Then
Rb
x(x)dx
Center of Mass = x = Ra b
(x)dx
a
Example 4 A rod of length 3 meters has density (x) = 1+x2 grams/meter,
and is positioned along the x-axis with left endpoint at 0. Find the center of
mass of the rod.
Solution.
R3
x(1 + x2 )dx
R3
1 + x2 dx
0
R3
x + x3 dx
0
= R3
1 + x2 dx
0
0
x =
x2
2
x+
x4 3
|
4 0
x3 3
|
3 0
+ 81
4
3+9
99
=
4(12)
9
2
33
meters
16
4
m
1/2
= 2m.
It will also be beneficial to know the equations of the lines which define
the sides of our triangle. Clearly, x = 0 is one of those lines. The other two
lines are y = 12 x 12 and y = 12 12 x.
We now find x.
R1
x =
x ( 21 12 x) ( 12 x 12 ) dx
m
R1
2mx(1 x)dx
= 0
m
R1
2m 0 x x2 dx
=
m
5
Z
=2
x x2 dx
x2 x3 1
)|0
2
3
1 1
= 2( )
2 3
1
= 2( )
6
1
=
3
= 2(
It may be obvious to you that y = 0, but lets show that this is truly the
case anyway. We convert our lines into functions of y rather than functions
of x, to obtain x = 2y + 1 and x = 1 2y. It should be evident from the
picture, that we will need two integrals to compute the numerator of our y.
R0
y =
y(1 2y)dy +
1/2
R 1/2
0
y(1 + 2y)dy
m
2m
hR
0
1/2
y 2y dy +
R 1/2
0
y + 2y dy
2y 0
y
y 2 2y 3 1/2
)|1/2 + ( +
)|
=2 (
2
3
2
3 0
= 2(
(1/2)2 2(1/2)3
(1/2)2 2(1/2)3
) + 2(
+
)
2
3
2
3
=0
That is, the center of mass for the given object is at (1/3, 0)!