Length of a Plane

Curve

Objective: To find the length of a

plane curve.

Review: Length of a Line Segment

(a,b)
s s  (c  a)2  (d  b)2
y
(c,d
)
x

s  (x)2  (y)2

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Arc Length

 Our first objective is to define what we mean by

length (or arc length) of a plane curve y = f(x) over an
interval [a, b]. Once that is done we will be able to
focus on the problem of computing arc lengths. We
will have the requirement that f / be continuous on
[a, b] and we say that y = f(x) is a smooth curve.

Arc Length Problem

 Suppose that y = f(x) is a smooth curve on the

interval [a, b]. Define and find a formula for the arc
length of L of the curve y = f(x) over the interval [a, b]

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Arc Length

 To define the arc length of a curve we start by

breaking the curve into small segments. Then we
approximate the curve segments by line segments
and add the lengths of the line segments to form a
Riemann Sum. As we increase the number of
segments, the approximation becomes better and
better.

Arc Length
 To implement our idea, divide the interval [a, b] into n
subintervals by inserting points x1 , x2 ,..., xn1 between
the values a  x0 and b  xn. Let P0 , P1 ,..., Pn be the points
on the curve that join the line segments. These line
segments form polygonal path that we can regard as
an approximation to the curve y = f(x).

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Arc Length
 The length Lk of the kth line segment in the polygonal
path is
Lk  (xk ) 2  (yk ) 2  (xk ) 2  [ f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )]2

Arc Length
 The length Lk of the kth line segment in the polygonal
path is
Lk  (xk ) 2  (yk ) 2  (xk ) 2  [ f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )]2

 If we now add the lengths of these line segments, we

obtain the following approximation to the length L of
the curve.
n n
L   Lk   (xk ) 2  [ f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )]2
k 1 k 1

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Arc Length
 To put this in the form of a Riemann Sum we will apply
the Mean-Value Theorem. This Theorem implies that
there is a point xk* between xk 1 and xk such that
f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 ) or f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )
 f / ( xk* )  f / ( xk* )
xk  xk 1 xk

f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )  f / ( xk* )xk

Arc Length
 To put this in the form of a Riemann Sum we will apply
the Mean-Value Theorem. This Theorem implies that
there is a point xk* between xk 1 and xk such that
f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 ) or f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )
 f / ( xk* )  f / ( xk* )
xk  xk 1 xk

f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )  f / ( xk* )xk
n n
L   Lk   (xk ) 2  [ f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )]2
k 1 k 1

n n
L   Lk   (xk ) 2  [ f / ( xk* )xk ]2
k 1 k 1

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Arc Length
 To put this in the form of a Riemann Sum we will apply
the Mean-Value Theorem. This Theorem implies that
there is a point xk* between xk 1 and xk such that
f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 ) or f ( xk )  f ( xk 1 )
 f / ( xk* )  f / ( xk* )
xk  xk 1 xk
n n
L   Lk   (xk ) 2  [ f / ( xk* )xk ]2
k 1 k 1

n
L 1  [ f / ( xk* )]2 xk
k 1

Arc Length
 Thus, taking the limit as n increases and the widths of
the subintervals approximate zero yields the following
integral that defines the arc length L:

n b
L  lim
max x 0

k 1
1  [ f ( x )] xk   1  [ f / ( x)]2 dx
/ *
k
2

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Definition
 If y = f(x) is a smooth curve on the interval [a, b], then
the arc length of L of this curve over [a, b] is defined as

b
L   1  [ f / ( x)]2 dx
a

Definition
 If x = g(y) is a smooth curve on the interval [c, d], then
the arc length of L of this curve over [c, d] is defined as

d
L   1  [ g / ( y )]2 dy
c

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Approximating the Length of a
Curve w/ Line Segments

sk  (xk )2  (yk )2

sk
yk
n
L  lim  sk
n 
a xk b k 1

b
L   ds  
b
(dx)2  (dy)2
a a

2 If x=g(y)
d  dx 
2
b  dy 
 1    dx      1 dy
is a
function
a
 dx  c
 dy 

Example 1
 Find the arc length of the curve y  x 3 / 2 from (1, 1) to
(2, 2 2 ) using both formulas.

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Example 1
 Find the arc length of the curve y  x3 / 2 from (1, 1) to
(2, 2 2 ) using both formulas.

3 1/ 2
f / ( x)  x
2

2
3 
2
L 1   x1/ 2  dx  2.09
1 2 

Example 1
 Find the arc length of the curve y  x3 / 2 from (1, 1) to
(2, 2 2 ) using both formulas.

x  y2/3

2 1/ 3
g / ( y)  y
3

2
2 
2 2
L 1
1   y 1/ 3  dy  2.09
3 

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Length of a Curve: Example
Find the length of y = x2 over [0,2].

dy
 2x
dx
2 2
L 1  (2 x)2 dx  1  4 x 2 dx
0 0


 17  14 ln 4  17  4.647 

Length of a Curve: Example

Find the length of y = x2 over [0,2].
Revisited!
dx 1
x y 
dy 2 y

2
4  1  4 1
L 1   dy  0 1  dy
0 2 y  4y
 

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Length of a Curve: Example
Find the length of y  4  x2 over [-2,2].

dy 2 x x A semicircle!
 
dx 2 4  x 2 4  x2

2
2  x  2 x2
L  2 1   dx  20 1  dx
0
 4 x 
2 4  x 2

2
2 1  x
 4 dx  4 sin 1  2 
0
4  x2  2 0

Find the length of the line segment on 2y - 2x + 3 = 0

between y = 1 and y = 3. Check your answer using the
distance formula. (22)

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