Calculus 3

Lia Vas

Substitution for Double and Triple Intrgrals.

Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates
General substitution for double integrals.
We have seen many examples in which a region in xy-plane has more convenient representation
in polar coordinates than in xy-parametrization. In general, say that two new parameters, u and v,
represent the region better than the parameters x and y. In cases like that, one can transform the
region in xy-plane to a region in uv-plane by the substitution

x = g(u, v) y = h(u, v).

Thus, a substitution is just a convenient reparametrization

RR
of a surface when the parameters
x and y are changed to u and v. When evaluating the integral D f (x, y)dxdy using substitution,
the area element dA = dxdy becomes |J|dudv where the Jacobian determinant J is given by
∂x ∂x
∂u ∂v xu xv
J= ∂y ∂y = .
∂u ∂v
yu yv

Thus, Z Z Z Z
f (x, y) dx dy = f (x(u, v), y(u, v)) |J|du dv
D D
Note that in one-dimensional case, the Jacobian determinant is simply the derivative of the
substitution u = u(x) solved for x so that x = x(u) ⇒ dx = x0 (u)du.
Jacobian for polar coordinates. The polar coordinates x = r cos θ and y = r sin θ can
be considered as a substitution in which u = r and v = θ. Thus, xr = cos θ, xθ = −r sin θ and
yr = sin θ, yθ = r cos θ. The Jacobian is

xr xθ cos θ −r sin θ
J= = = r cos2 θ + r sin2 θ = r.
yr yθ sin θ r cos θ

This explains the presence of r in the integrals of the section on Polar Coordinates.
Z Z Z Z
f (x, y)dxdy = f (r cos θ, r sin θ) r dr dθ.
D

1
 General substitution for triple integrals.
Just as for double integrals, a region over which a triple integral is being taken may have easier
representation in another coordinate system, say in uvw-space, than in xyz-space. In cases like that,
one can transform the region in xyz-space to a region in uvw-space by the substitution

x = x(u, v, w), y = y(u, v, w), and z = z(u, v, w).

RRR
When evaluating the integral E f (x, y, z)dxdydz using substitution, the volume element dV =
dxdydz becomes |J|dudvdw where the Jacobian determinant J is given by

∂x ∂x ∂x
∂u ∂v ∂w xu xv xw
∂y ∂y ∂y
J= ∂u ∂v ∂w
= y u yv yw
∂z ∂z ∂z
∂u ∂v ∂w
zu zv zw
Z Z Z Z Z Z
Thus, f (x, y, z) dx dy dz = f (x(u, v, w), y(u, v, w), z(u, v, w)) |J|du dv dw
E E
Two main examples of such substitution are cylindrical and spherical coordinates.

Cylindrical coordinates.
Recall that the cylinder x2 + y 2 = a2 can
be parametrized by x = a cos θ, y = a sin θ and
z = z. Assuming now that the radius a is not con-
stant and using the variable r to denote it just as
in polar coordinates, we obtain the cylindrical co-
ordinates
x = r cos θ
y = r sin θ
z=z

Thus, x, y and r are related by x2 +y 2 = r2 .

The Jacobian of cylindrical coordinates is

x r xθ xz cos θ −r sin θ 0
J= yr yθ yz = sin θ r cos θ 0 = r cos2 θ + r sin2 θ = r.
zr zθ zz 0 0 1

2
Thus, when using cylindrical coordinates to evaluate a triple integral of a function f (x, y, z) defined
over a solid region E above the surface z = g(x, y) and below the surface z = h(x, y) with the
projection D in the xy-plane. If the projection D has a representation in the polar coordinates
D = { (r, θ) | α ≤ θ ≤ β, r1 (θ) ≤ r ≤ r2 (θ) }, then the triple integral
Z Z Z Z β Z r2 (θ) Z h(r,θ) ! !
f (x, y, z) dx dy dz = f (r cos θ, r sin θ, z) dz r dr dθ
E α r1 (θ) g(r,θ)

Spherical coordinates.
Besides cylindrical coordinates, another frequently used coordinates for triple integrals are spher-
ical coordinates. Spherical coordinates are mostly used for the integrals over a solid whose defini-
tion involves spheres.
If P = (x, y, z) is a point in space and O denotes the origin, let
−→
• r denote the length of the vector OP =
hx, y, zi, i.e. the distance of the point P =
(x, y, z) from the origin O. Thus,
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = r 2 ;

• θ be the angle between the projection of vec-

−→
tor OP = hx, y, zi on the xy-plane and the
→
−
vector i (positive x axis); and
−→
• φ be the angle between the vector OP and
→
−
the vector k (positive z-axis).
The conversion equations are x = r cos θ sin φ y = r sin θ sin φ z = r cos φ.
The Jacobian determinant can be computed to be J = r2 sin φ. Thus,

dx dy dz = r2 sin φ dr dφ dθ.

Note that the angle θ is the same in cylindrical and spherical coordinates.
Note that the distance r is different in cylindrical and in spherical coordinates.
Meaning of r Relation to x, y, z
Cylindrical distance from (x, y, z) to z-axis x2 + y 2 = r2
Spherical distance from (x, y, z) to the origin x + y + z = r2
2 2 2

Spherical coordinates parametrization

of a sphere. If a is a positive constant and a
point (x, y, z) is on the sphere centered at the ori-
gin of radius a, then the coordinates satisfy the
equation

x 2 + y 2 + z 2 = a2 .

3
So, the distance from the origin r is exactly a for every such point. In other words, r is constant and
equal to a. Thus, the equation of the sphere in spherical coordinates become simple and short
r=a
and the equations x = a cos θ sin φ, y = a sin θ sin φ, z = a cos φ
parametrize the sphere. When these equations are substituted in the expression x2 + y 2 + z 2 , it
simplifies to a2 (you should convince yourself of this fact).

Practice problems.
1. Evaluate the triple integral
RRR √
(a) E x2 + y 2 dx dy dz where E is the region that lies between the cylinders x2 + y 2 = 1
and x + y 2 = 4 and between the xy-plane and the plane z = x + 3.
2

2
+ y 2 + z 2 ) dx dy dz where E is the unit ball x2 + y 2 + z 2 ≤ 1.
RRR
(b) E (x
z dx dy dz where E is the region between the spheres x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 and
RRR
(c) E
x + y 2 + z 2 = 4 in the first octant.
2

2. Find the volume of the solid enclosed by the paraboloids z = x2 + y 2 and z = 36 − 3x2 − 3y 2 .
x2 y2 z2
3. Find the volume of the ellipsoid 4
+ 9
+ 25
= 1 by using the transformation x = 2u, y = 3v
z = 5w.
4. Determine the bounds (in spherical coordinates) for the following regions between the spheres
x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 1 and x2 + y 2 + z 2 = 4.
(a) The region between the two spheres and above the xy-plane.
(b) The region between the two spheres and to the right of the xz-plane.
(c) The region between the two spheres and in front of the yz-plane.
5. Use the given substitution to evaluate the integral.
dx dy where D is the region bounded by the lines y = x, y = x − 2, y = −2x,
RR
(a) D (3x + 4y)
and y = 3 − 2x. The substitution x = 13 (u + v), y = 31 (v − 2u) transforms the region to a
rectangle 0 ≤ u ≤ 2 and 0 ≤ v ≤ 3.
RR
(b) xy dx dy where D is the region in the first quadrant bounded by the curves y = x,
D
y = 3x, y = x1 , and y = x3 . The substitution x = uv , y = v transforms the region into a
√ √
region with bounds 1 ≤ u ≤ 3 and u ≤ v ≤ 3u.
Solutions.
1. (a) Use cylindrical coordinates. The plane z = x + 3 is the z-upper bound and the xy-plane
z = 0 is the z-lower bound. The bounds for r and θ are determined as when working
with polar coordinates: the region between the circles x2 + y 2 = 1 and x2 + y 2 = 4 can be
described by 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π and 1 ≤ r ≤ 2. Since x = r cos θ, the plane z = x + 3 becomes
z = r cos θ + 3. Thus, the integral is
Z Z Z q Z 2π Z 2 Z r cos θ+3 √ Z 2π Z 2 Z r cos θ+3
2
x2 + y2 dx dy dz = r2 r dr dθ dz = dθ r dr dz =
E 0 1 0 0 1 0

4
 2
Z 2π Z 2 Z 2π Z 2 Z 2π
r4 r3
dθ r2 dr (r cos θ + 3) = dθ (r3 cos θ + 3r2 ) dr = dθ ( cos θ + 3 ) =
0 1 0 1 0 4 3 1
R 2π
0 dθ ( 15
4
cos θ + 7) = 14π.
(b) Use spherical coordinates. The function x2 +y 2 +z 2 is r2 and dV = dxdydz is r2 sin φdrdθdφ.
The bounds for the unit sphere Rare R0 ≤R θ ≤ 2π, 0 ≤ φ ≤ π, and 0 ≤ rR ≤ 1. Thus, we have
RRR 2 2 2 2π π 1 2 2 R 2π π R1 4
E (x + y + z ) dx dy dz = 0 0 0 r r sin φ dr dθ dφ = 0 dθ 0 sin φdφ 0 r dr =
1
r5
2π(− cos φ)|π0 5 0
= 2π(2) 15 = 4π
5
.

(c) Use spherical coordinates. The function z is

r cos φ and dV = dxdydz is r2 sin φdrdθdφ.
Since the region is in the first octant, 0 ≤
φ ≤ π2 . The bounds for r and θ can be deter-
mined from the intersection with xy-plane
on the figure on the right. Hence, 0 ≤ θ ≤ π2
and the bounds for r are determined by the
radii of the spheres, so 1 ≤ r ≤ 2. Thus,
Z Z Z
z dx dy dz =
E

Z π/2 Z π/2 Z 2
r cos φ r2 sin φdr dθ dφ =
0 0 1

Z π/2 Z π/2 Z 2
dθ cos φ sin φdφ r3 dr =
0 0 1

2
π 1 r4 15π
=
2 2 4 1
16

2. Use cylindrical coordinates. The paraboloids have the equations z = x2 + y 2 = r2 and z =

36 − 3x2 − 3y 2 = 36 − 3r2 . The first is the lower z-bound and the second is the upper (see the
figure below). The bounds for θ are 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π.

The paraboloids intersect in a circle. The pro-

jection of the circle in xy-plane determines the
r-bounds. The intersection is when 36 − 3r2 =
r2 ⇒ 36 = 4r2 ⇒ 9 = r2 ⇒ r = 3 (the negative
solution is not relevant). Thus, the r-bounds
are 0 ≤ r ≤ 3. The volume is
Z Z Z Z 2π Z 3 Z 36−3r2
V = dxdydz = r dr dθ dz =
0 0 r2

Z 2π Z 3
3
dθ r dr(36−3r2 −r2 ) = 2π(18r2 − r4 ) = 162π.
0 0 0

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3. The substitution x = 2u, y = 3v and z = 5w
converts the ellipsoid into a sphere of radius 1.
The Jacobian of this substitution is J =
2 0 0
0 3 0 = 30. Thus, the volume is V =
0 0 5
RRR RRR
dx dy dz = 30 du dv dw. Since the
integral is taken over a inside of the sphere,
use the spherical coordinates. The Jacobian is
r2 sin φ so dudvdw = r2 sin φdrdθdφ. Since the
radius is 1 and we are integrating over entire
sphere, the bounds are 0 ≤ θ ≤ 2π, 0 ≤ φ ≤ π,
and 0 ≤ r ≤ 1. Thus, the volume is V =
30 r2 sin φ dr dφ dθ =
RRR RRR
30 du dv dw =
1
Z 2π Z π Z 1
r3 1
30 dθ sin φ dφ r2 dr = 30 2π (− cos φ)|π0 = 120π = 40π.
0 0 0 3 0
3

4. Since the radius of the first sphere is 1 and the radius of the second sphere is 2, the r-bounds
are 1 ≤ r ≤ 2 for all three parts.

(a) Note that the values of θ are 0 to 2π be-

cause the projection in the xy plane is
entire region between two circles. The
bounds for φ are 0 to π2 (see the figure
on the right).

(b) The right side of the xz-plane y = 0 corresponds to y > 0. Hence, the projection in xy-
plane is above the x-axis. So, the values of θ are 0 to π. The bounds for φ are 0 to π as
the figure below illustrates.

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 (c) The front of the yz-plane x = 0 corresponds to x > 0. Hence, the projection in xy-plane
is to the right of the y-axis. So, the values of θ are −π
2
to π2 . The bounds for φ are 0 to π
as the figure below illustrates.

1 1
xu xv 1 2
= 13 .
RR
5. (a) Calculate the Jacobian J = = 3 3 = +
−2 1 9 9 D (3x + 4y) dx dy =
yu yv 3 3
3
R2R3 1 R2 v2 4v 2 1 R2
0 (u + v + 43 (v − 2u)) 13 du dv =
0 3 0
(uv + 2
+ 6
− 8uv
3
) du = 3 0
(3u + 9
2
+6−
0
8u) du = 13 (6 + 9 + 12 − 16) = 113
1 −u R 3 R √3u u 1
xu xv
= v v2 = v1 .
RR
(b) The Jacobian is J = D xy dx dy = 1
√
u v v v du dv =
yu yv 0 1
√
R3 3u √ √ 2 3 √
= 13 udu ln 3 = ln 3 u2 = 4 ln 3 = 2 ln 3 = 2.197
R
1 udu ln v √
u 1