Section 9.

4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

(1)

where r is the radius and is the radian measure of the central angle. Formula 1 follows from the fact
that the area of a sector is proportional to its central angle:
A=

1
r 2 = r 2
2
2

Let R be the region bounded by the polar curve r = f () and by the rays = a and = b, where f is a
positive continuous function and where 0 < b a 2.

We divide the interval [a, b] into subintervals with endpoints 0 , 1 , 2 , . . . , n and equal width . The
rays = i then divide R into n smaller regions with central angle = i i1 . If we choose i in the
ith subinterval [i1 , i ], then the area Ai of the ith region is approximated by the area of the sector of
a circle with central angle and radius f (i ). Thus from Formula 1 we have
1
Ai [f (i )]2
2
and so an approximation to the total area A of R is A

n
X
1
i=1

(2)

[f (i )]2 . One can see that the approxima-

1
tion in (2) improves as n . But the sums in (2) are Riemann sums for the function g() = [f ()]2 ,
2
so
Z
n
b
X1
1
lim
[f (i )]2 =
[f ()]2 d
n
2
a 2
i=1
It therefore appears plausible (and can in fact be proved) that the formula for the area A of the polar
region R is
Z b
1
(3)
A=
[f ()]2 d
2
a
This formula is often written as
A=

1 2
r d
2

(4)

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the area of each of the following regions:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

Solution:
(a) We have
A=

3/4

/4

1 2
1
1 d =
2
2

3/4
/4

1
d =
2

4
4

1
=
2

2
4

(b) We have
A=

2+/4

3/4

1
1 2
1 d =
2
2

2+/4

3/4

1
d =
2

3
2 +
4
4

1
=
2



2

3
2
= =
4
4
4

(c) We have
A=

7/4

5/4

1
1 2
1 d =
2
2

7/4

5/4

1
d =
2

7 5

4
4

1
=
2

2
4

(d) We have
A=

2+/4

7/4

1 2
1
1 d =
2
2

or
A=

/4
/4

2+/4

7/4

1
1 2
1 d =
2
2

1
d =
2

7
2 +
4
4

/4

d =
/4

1
=
2



6
3

2
=
=
4
4
4

1    1  
=
=

+
2 4
4
2 4
4
4

EXAMPLE: Find the area of the inner loop of r = 2 + 4 cos .

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the area of the inner loop of r = 2 + 4 cos .

Solution: We first find a and b:

4/3

2/3

4/3

4/3

1
(2 + 4 cos )2 d =
2

cos =

2 4
,
3
3

1
(4 + 16 cos + 16 cos2 )d
2

2/3

(2 + 8 cos + 8 cos )d =

2/3

4/3

1
2

4/3
2/3

(2 + 8 cos + 4(1 + cos 2)d =

2/3



1 + cos 2
d
2 + 8 cos + 8
2

4/3

(6 + 8 cos + 4 cos 2)d

2/3

h
i4/3

= 6 + 8 sin + 2 sin 2
= 4 6 3 2.174
2/3

EXAMPLE: Find the area enclosed by one loop of the four-leaved rose r = cos 2.

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the area enclosed by one loop of the four-leaved rose r = cos 2.

Solution: Notice that the region enclosed by the right loop is swept out by a ray that rotates from = /4
to = /4. Therefore, Formula 4 gives
A =

/4

/4

/4

1 2
1
r d =
2
2

/4
2

cos 2d =

/4

/4

cos2 2d


/4

1
1
1
=
+ sin 4
(1 + cos 4)d =
2
2
4
8
0

Let R be the region bounded by curves with polar equations r = f (), r = g(), = a, and = b, where
f () g() 0 and 0 < b a 2. Then the area A of R is
A=

b
a

1
[f ()]2 [g()]2 d
2

EXAMPLE: Find the area that lies inside r = 3 + 2 sin and outside r = 2.

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the area that lies inside r = 3 + 2 sin and outside r = 2.

Solution: We first find a and b:

1
sin =
2

=
,
6
6

11
6

Therefore the area is

Z
Z

7/6
/6
7/6
/6

1
2



Z 7/6
1 cos 2
1
5 + 12 sin + 4
d =
(5 + 12 sin + 2(1 cos 2))d
2
/6 2

i7/6
1h
1
(7 + 12 sin 2 cos 2)d = 7 12 cos sin 2
/6
2
2

11 3 14
=
+
24.187
2
3

EXAMPLE: Find the area of the region outside r = 3 + 2 sin and inside r = 2.

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the area of the region outside r = 3 + 2 sin and inside r = 2.
Solution: We have
Z 11/6

1 2
2 (3 + 2 sin )2 d
A =
2
7/6
=

11/6

11/6

7/6

7/6

1
(5 12 sin 4 sin2 )d
2
i11/6 113 7
1h
1
=
7 + 12 cos + sin 2
(7 12 sin + 2 cos 2)d =

2.196
7/6
2
2
2
3

1
EXAMPLE: Find all points of intersection of the curves r = cos 2 and r = .
2

1
1
Solution: If we solve the equations r = cos 2 and r = , we get cos 2 = and, therefore,
2
2
2 = /3, 5/3, 7/3, 11/3
Thus the values of between 0 and 2 that satisfy both equations are
= /6, 5/6, 7/6, 11/6
We have found four points of intersection:
 
 




1
1
1
1
, /6 ,
, 5/6 ,
, 7/6 , and
, 11/6
2
2
2
2
However, you can see from the above figure that the curves have four other points of intersection namely,

 
 



1
1
1
1
, /3 ,
, 2/3 ,
, 4/3 , and
, 5/3
2
2
2
2
1
These can be found using symmetry or by noticing that another equation of the circle is r = and then
2
1
solving the equations r = cos 2 and r = .
2
6

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

Arc Length
To find the length of a polar curve r = f (), a b, we regard as a parameter and write the
parametric equations of the curve as
x = r cos = f () cos

y = r sin = f () sin

Using the Product Rule and differentiating with respect to , we obtain

dy
dr
=
sin + r cos
d
d

So, using cos2 + sin2 = 1, we have

dr
d

2

dr
sin + 2r sin cos + r 2 cos2 =
d
2

dr
d

2

+ r2

Assuming that f is continuous, we can use one of the formulas from Section 9.2 to write the arc length as
s
Z b  2  2
dy
dx
L=
+
d
d
d
a
Therefore, the length of a curve with polar equation r = f (), a b, is
L=

b
a

r2

dr
d

EXAMPLE: Find the length of the curve r = , 0 1.

2

(5)

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the length of the curve r = , 0 1.

Solution: We have

L =

2 + 1 =

tan2 x + 1 =

2 + 1d =
d = d tan x

sec2 x = | sec x| = sec x

d = sec2 xdx

/4

1
sec xdx = (sec x tan x + ln | sec x + tan x|)
2
3

= tan x

EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 cos .

/4
0

1
= ( 2 + ln(1 + 2))
2

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 cos .

Solution: The full length of the cardioid is given by the parameter interval 0 2, so Formula 5 gives
s
 2
Z 2
Z 2 q
dr
L=
d =
r2 +
(1 cos )2 + sin2 d
d
0
0
=
=

Z
Z

2
0
2
0
2

1 2 cos + cos2 + sin2 d

2 2 cos d

4 sin2 d
2
0

Z 2 
 

=
2 sin  d
2
0
Z 2

=
2 sin d
2
0
2

=4+4=8
= 4 cos
2 0
=

EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 + sin .

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

EXAMPLE: Find the length of the cardioid r = 1 + sin .

Solution 1: Note that



r = 1 + sin = 1 cos +
2
Therefore the graph of r = 1 + sin is the rotation of the graph of r = 1 cos . Hence the length of the
cardioid r = 1 + sin is 8 by the previous Example.
Solution 2: The full length of the cardioid is given by the parameter interval 0 2, so Formula 5
gives
s
 2
Z 2
dr
2
L=
d
r +
d
0
Z 2 p
=
(1 + sin )2 + cos2 d
0

p
1 + 2 sin + sin2 + cos2 d

2 + 2 sin d

+ =u
r
Z 5/2

2
 2 


=
=
d =
2 2 cos +
2 2 cos udu
d

+
=
du

2
0
/2
2
d = du
Z 2 
Z 5/2 
Z 5/2 
Z 5/2 r



 u
 u
 u
2 u
2 sin  du +
2 sin  du
2 sin  du =
=
4 sin du =
2
2
2
2
/2
2
/2
/2
Z 2
Z 5/2
u
u
=
2 sin du
2 sin du
2
2
/2
2
u i5/2
u i2
+ 4 cos
= 4 cos
2 /2
2 2



5

+ 4 cos
4 cos
= 4 cos + 4 cos
4
4

= (4 + 2 2) + (2 2 + 4) = 8
Z

10

Section 9.4 Areas and Lengths in Polar Coordinates

2010 Kiryl Tsishchanka

Solution 3: The full length of the cardioid is given by the parameter interval 0 2, so Formula 5
gives
s
 2
Z 2
Z 2 p
Z 2 p
dr
2
2
2
L =
d =
r +
(1 + sin ) + cos d =
1 + 2 sin + sin2 + cos2 d
d
0
0
0

Z 2
Z 2
Z 2 1 + sin 1 sin

2 + 2 sin d = 2
1 + sin d = 2
=
d
1 sin
0
0
0

Z 2 p
Z 2
Z 2 | cos |

1 sin2
cos2

d = 2
d = 2
d
= 2
1 sin
1 sin
1 sin
0
0
0
Z /2
Z 3/2
Z 2

cos
cos
cos

= 2
d 2
d + 2
d
1 sin
1 sin
1 sin
0
/2
3/2
Note that

1 sin = u

d(1 sin ) = du
cos

d =
cos d = du
1 sin

cos d = du

Z
Z
1/2+1

du
= = u1/2 du = u
+C

u
1/2 + 1

= 2 u + C

= 2 1 sin + C
Therefore

i/2
i3/2
i2



+ 2 2 1 sin
2 2 1 sin
L = 2 2 1 sin
/2


p

1 sin(/2) 1 sin 0
= 2 2


p
p
1 sin(3/2) 1 sin(/2)
+2 2

p
p
2 2
1 sin(2) 1 sin(3/2)

= 2 2 (0 1) + 2 2 2 0 2 2 1 2

=2 2+42 2+4 =8

11

3/2