Applications of double and triple integrals

Moments and center of mass

This lecture is rather sparse, and assumes you recall what moment and center of
mass are from single variable Calculus (if not, dig out your Calc text and refresh,
plus Ive got some old notes that I dug up on the topic).

Moments and center of mass in 2D plane figures

Recall that we call a thin sheet of a plane region a lamina, and by thin we mean
has no thickness at all - we are looking at something that is purely a 2D area,
and not a solid. Despite that, we can associate a density with it, where instead of
the usual density as mass per unit volume, we use mass per unit surface area.

Define the region by the usual set R of points in the plane. If the figure has
variable density (x, y) [or (r, ) in polar], we have a little chunk of mass given
by m = (xi, yi ) A, and a total mass of
ZZ
m=
(x, y) dA
R

If density is constant, we can pull it through the integral and have m = A in the
same way wed have m = V .

We can also define moments about the x and y axes. These are sometimes
called the first moments and should not be confused with moment of inertia
which is a bit different and a topic for another day. These moments are just your
moments in the sense of torque, measuring the tendency to rotate around each of
the axes. The lever arm is perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and so

Mx =

ZZ

y(x, y) dA
R

My =

ZZ

x(x, y) dA
R

Then, we can compute the center of mass of the region (x, y) by

RR
RR
x(x, y) dA
y(x, y) dA
My
Mx
R
= RR
= RRR
x=
y=
m
(x, y) dA
m
(x, y) dA
R
R

Example:
Find the center of mass of the lamina described by the region
R = {(x, y) | x 0, 0 y 9 x2 }
with density (x, y) = xy.

Set up and evaluate the integrals for m, Mx and My :

m=

ZZ

(x, y) dA =

3
0

9x2

xy dy dx
0

Inner:
Z

9x2

xy dy =
0

1  2 9x2
1
81
1
x y 0
= x(9 x2)2 = x 9x3 + x5
2
2
2
2

Outer:


3
Z 3
81
1 5
81 2 9 4
1 6
81
9
1
3
x 9x + x dx =
x x + x
= (9) (81) + (729) = 60.75
2
2
4
4
12
4
4
12
0
0
Mass is m = 60.75.

ZZ

Mx =
Inner:
Z 9x2

xy 2 dy =

y(x, y) dA =
R

9x2

y(xy) dy dx

1
1  3 9x2 1
x y 0
= x(9 x2)3 = x7 + 9x5 81x3 + 243x
3
3
3

Outer:


3
Z 3
1 7
1 8 3 6 81 4 243 2
2187
5
3
x + 9x 81x + 243x dx = x + x x +
x
=
= 273.375
3
24
2
4
2
8
0
0
Moment about x is Mx = 273.375.

ZZ

My =

x(x, y) dA =

3
0

9x2

x(xy) dy dx
0

Inner:
Z

9x2

x2 y dy =
0

1
1
81
1 2  2 9x2
x y 0
= x2(9 x2 )2 = x6 9x4 + x2
2
2
2
2

Outer:


3
Z 3
1 6
81 2
1 7 9 5 27 5 243 2
2916
4
x 9x + x dx =
x x + x +
x
=
83.314
2
2
14
5
2
2
35
0
0
Moment about y is My 83.314.

Center of mass:
(x, y) =

My Mx
,
m m

83.314 273.375
,
60.75 60.75

(1.37, 4.5)

Moments and center of mass in 3D solid figures

Define the region by the usual set D of points in the space (your choice of coordinate
system). If the figure has variable density (x, y, z) [or similar in cylindrical or
spherical], we have seen that mass
ZZ
m=
(x, y, z) dV
D

We define the moments about the three coordinate planes as:

ZZZ
Myz =
x(x, y, z) dV
D

Mxz =
Mxy =

ZZZ

y(x, y, z) dV
D

ZZZ

z(x, y, z) dV
D

And locate the center of mass (x, y, z):

x=

Myz
m

y=

Mxz
m

z=

Mxy
m

Example:
Find the center of mass of the solid bounded by x = y 2 , z = x, z = 0, y = 0, x = 1
with density (x, y, z) = x + y + z.
This solid is the same one I used in the density/mass example, so weve already
got it sketched and the mass calculated.

D = {(x, y, z) | 0 x y 2 , 0 y 1, 0 z x}
m=

ZZZ

(x, y, z) dV =
D

1
0

y2

(x + y + z) dz dx dy
0

The mass of the solid is 13

84 .15kg.
Now, well set up the integrals for the moments:
ZZZ
Z 1 Z y2 Z
Myz =
x(x, y, z) dV =
D

Mxz =
Mxy =

ZZZ

y(x, y, z) dV =
D

ZZZ

z(x, y, z) dV =
D

Z
Z

1
0

y2

y2

1
0

x(x + y + z) dz dx dy
0

Z
Z

y(x + y + z) dz dx dy
0
x

z(x + y + z) dz dx dy
0

Its not that any one of those integrals is particularly difficult to do, its just that to
do any center of mass problem, you have to do four separate integral calculations.
At three integrals each, thats twelve integrations to solve one problem. And the
introduction of the different variables x, y and z into the integrand means that
the integrations dont build off each other - each one has to be redone from scratch.
I...dont have the patience. You probably dont either. The expectation is that if
needed, yes, you could calculate each of those integrals, but sitting around working

twelve integration problems to solve one example isnt the best use of time. Hello,
Maple.
Maple informs me (code attached at end) that
1

y2

m=

1Z

y2

Myz =

0
y2

Mxz =

y2

Mxy =

Z 1Z

(x + y + z) dz dx dy =

13
84

x(x + y + z) dz dx dy =

1
12

y(x + y + z) dz dx dy =

15
112

z(x + y + z) dz dx dy =

19
432

And therefore the center of mass is


 

Myz Mxz Mxy
7 45 133
,
,
=
, ,
(x, y, z) =
m
m
m
13 52 468

These could be set up in cylindrical or spherical coordinate systems as well - see

the suggested problems. In general, for 3D center of mass problems, the focus will
be on the setup (and being able to switch between coordinate systems); well let
Maple handle the integration.

Center of mass example:

Density function:
d d x, y, z /x Cy Cz :
1 y2 x

md

d x, y, z dz dx dy;
0 0

13
84

(1)

1
12

(2)

15
112

(3)

19
432

(4)

7
13

(5)

45
52

(6)

133
468

(7)

1 y2 x

Myz d

x$d x, y, z dz dx dy;
0 0

1 y2 x

Mxz d

y$d x, y, z dz dx dy;
0 0

1 y2 x

Mxy d

z$d x, y, z dz dx dy;
0 0

xbar d

ybar d

zbar d

Myz
;
m

Mxz
;
m

Mxy
;
m