Calculus (3rd Edition)

Published by W. H. Freeman
ISBN 10: 1464125260
ISBN 13: 978-1-46412-526-3

Chapter 12 - Parametric Equations, Polar Coordinates, and Conic Sections - 12.2 Arc Length and Speed - Exercises - Page 611: 29

Answer

The arc length of the involute is $s = 2{\pi ^2}R$

Work Step by Step

Observe that OQP is a right triangle and that $\angle QPS = \frac{\pi }{2} - \theta $. So, from the figure we see that the coordinates of $P$ is $x = R\cos \theta + ||\overline {PQ} ||\cos \left( {\frac{\pi }{2} - \theta } \right) = R\cos \theta + ||\overline {PQ} ||\sin \theta $, $y = R\sin \theta - ||\overline {PQ} ||\sin \left( {\frac{\pi }{2} - \theta } \right) = R\sin \theta - ||\overline {PQ} ||\cos \theta $. Since the length of $\overline {PQ} $ is $R\theta $, that is, $||\overline {PQ} || = R\theta $, we get $x = R\cos \theta + R\theta \sin \theta $, ${\ \ \ }$ $y = R\sin \theta - R\theta \cos \theta $. So, $P = \left( {R\left( {\cos \theta + \theta \sin \theta } \right),R\left( {\sin \theta - \theta \cos \theta } \right)} \right)$ Since $P$ is any point on the involute, we obtain the parametrization $c\left( \theta \right) = \left( {R\left( {\cos \theta + \theta \sin \theta } \right),R\left( {\sin \theta - \theta \cos \theta } \right)} \right)$ We have $x\left( \theta \right) = R\left( {\cos \theta + \theta \sin \theta } \right)$, $x'\left( \theta \right) = R\left( { - \sin \theta + \sin \theta + \theta \cos \theta } \right) = R\theta \cos \theta $, $y\left( \theta \right) = R\left( {\sin \theta - \theta \cos \theta } \right)$, $y'\left( \theta \right) = R\left( {\cos \theta - \cos \theta + \theta \sin \theta } \right) = R\theta \sin \theta $. Using Eq. (3) of Theorem 1, the arc length for $0 \le t \le 2\pi $ is $s = \mathop \smallint \limits_0^{2\pi } \sqrt {{{\left( {R\theta \cos \theta } \right)}^2} + {{\left( {R\theta \sin \theta } \right)}^2}} {\rm{d}}t = R\mathop \smallint \limits_0^{2\pi } \theta {\rm{d}}\theta $ $s = \frac{1}{2}R{\theta ^2}|_0^{2\pi } = 2{\pi ^2}R$.
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