Math 181 – Section 8.

1 Solutions

1. The arc length of y = x4 between x = 2 and x = 6 is:

s  2
Z 6
dy
L= 1+ dx
2 dx
Z 6p
= 1 + (4x3 )2 dx
2
Z 6 p
= 1 + 16x6 dx
2

1 3
3. For the curve y = x + x−1 we have:
12
dy 1
= x2 − x−2
dx 4
Therefore, we have:
 2  2
dy 1 2
1+ =1+ x − x−2
dx 4
1 4 1
= 1 + x − + x−4
16 2
1 4 1
= x + + x−4
16 2
 2
1 2
= x + x−2
4
The length of the curve for 1 ≤ x ≤ 2 is:
s 2
Z 2 
dy
L= 1+ dx
1 dx
s 2
2
1 2
Z
= x + x−2 dx
1 4
Z 2 
1 2 −2
= x +x dx
1 4
 2
1 3
= x − x−1
12
 1  
1 3 1 1
= (2) − − (1)3 − 1
12 2 12
13
=
12

1 2 1
9. For the curve y = x − ln x, we have:
4 2
dy 1 1
= x−
dx 2 2x

1
 Therefore, we have:
 2  2
dy 1 1
1+ =1+ x−
dx 2 2x
1 1 1
= 1 + x2 − + 2
4 2 4x
1 1 1
= x2 + + 2
4 2 4x
 2
1 1
= x+
2 2x

The length of the curve for 1 ≤ x ≤ 2e is:

s  2
Z 2
dy
L= 1+ dx
1 dx
s 2
Z 2e 
1 1
= x+ dx
1 2 2x
Z 2e  
1 1
= x+ dx
1 2 2x
 2e
1 2 1
= x + ln |x|
4 2 1
   
1 2 1 1 2 1
= (2e) + ln(2e) − (1) + ln 1
4 2 2 2
1 1
= e2 + ln(2e) −
2 2

15. From the figure, we only need to determine the length of one part of the astroid x2/3 + y 2/3 = 1. Using
symmetry, we can then multiply that by 4 to get the total length. Let’s compute the length of the
curve in the first quadrant.

dy
First, we must compute . We will do this by implicit differentiation:
dx
d  2/3  d
x + y 2/3 = (1)
dx dx
2 −1/3 2 −1/3 dy
x + y =0
3 3 dx
1 1 dy
1/3
+ 1/3 =0
x y dx
1 dy 1
= − 1/3
y 1/3 dx x
dy y 1/3
= − 1/3
dx x

2
 Therefore, we have:
 2  1/3 2
dy y
1+ = 1 + − 1/3
dx x
y 2/3
=1+
x2/3
x + y 2/3
2/3
=
x2/3
1
= 2/3
x
where we used the fact that x2/3 + y 2/3 = 1 to simplify the fraction.

The length of the curve for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1 is:

s 2
Z 1 
dy
L= 1+ dx
0 dx
Z 1r
1
= 2/3
dx
0 x
Z 1
1
= 1/3
dx
0 x
 1
3 2/3
= x
2 0
3
=
2
Therefore, the length of the entire curve is:
 
3
total length = 4 = 6
2

17. For the curve 9y 2 = x(x − 3)2 , we have:

d d
(9y 2 ) = (x(x − 3)2 )
dx dx
dy
18y = (x − 3)2 + 2x(x − 3)
dx
dy (x − 3)2 + 2x(x − 3)
=
dx 18y
dy x2 − 6x + 9 + 2x2 − 6x
=
dx 18y
dy 3x2 − 12x + 9
=
dx 18y
dy x2 − 4x + 3
=
dx 6y
dy (x − 3)(x − 1)
=
dx 6y

3
Therefore, we have:
 2  2
dy (x − 3)(x − 1)
1+ =1+
dx 6y
(x − 3) (x − 1)2
2
=1+
36y 2
(x − 3)2 (x − 1)2
=1+
4x(x − 3)2
(x − 1)2
=1+
4x
4x + (x − 1)2
=
4x
4x + x2 − 2x + 1
=
4x
x2 + 2x + 1
=
4x
(x + 1)2
=
4x
The length of the curve for 0 ≤ x ≤ 3 is:
s 2
Z 3 
dy
L= 1+ dx
0 dx
r
3
(x + 1)2
Z
= dx
0 4x
3
x+1
Z
= √ dx
0 2 x
3
1 1 3 dx
Z Z
1/2
= x dx +
2 0 2 0 x1/2
3
1 3 dx

1 2 3/2
Z
= x + lim+
2 3 0 a→0 2 a x1/2
1 1 h 1/2 i3
= 33/2 + lim+ 2x
3 a→0 2 a
√
= 3 + lim+ (31/2 − a1/2 )
a→0
√ √
= 3+ 3
√
= 2 3

4
33. The surface area of the solid obtained by revolving y = 4x + 3, [2, 4] about the x-axis is:
Z 4 p
SA = 2π f (x) 1 + f ′ (x)2 dx
2
Z 4 p
= 2π (4x + 3) 1 + (4)2 dx
2
√ Z 4
= 2π 17 (4x + 3) dx
2
√  4
= 2π 17 2x2 + 3x 2
√ 
= 2π 17 2(4)2 + 3(4) − 2(2)2 + 3(2)



√
= 2π 17 [44 − 14]
√
= 60π 17