Arc Length

MATH 211, Calculus II

J. Robert Buchanan

Department of Mathematics

Fall 2021
Overview

Today’s discussion will focus on finding the arc length of a

curve in the plane. This can be found via a definite integral
which we will develop from a Riemann sum.
Arc Length

Suppose f is continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b).

y

f(xk-1 )

f(xk )

x
a xk-1 xk b
Riemann Sum Approach

Let ∆x = (b − a)/n for some n ∈ N and xi = a + i∆x for

i = 1, 2, . . . , n, then the length of the line segment from
(xk −1 , f (xk −1 )) to (xk , f (xk )) is
q
(xk − xk −1 )2 + (f (xk ) − f (xk −1 ))2
s
(f (xk ) − f (xk −1 ))2
 
= 2
(xk − xk −1 ) 1 +
(xk − xk −1 )2
s
(f (xk ) − f (xk −1 ))2
= (xk − xk −1 ) 1 +
(xk − xk −1 )2
q
= (xk − xk −1 ) 1 + [f ′ (zk )]2 (by the MVT)
q
= 1 + [f ′ (zk )]2 ∆x.
Arc Length Formula
Let s denote the arc length of the graph of y = f (x) over the
interval [a, b], then
n q
X
s ≈ 1 + [f ′ (zk )]2 ∆x
k =1
n q
X
= lim 1 + [f ′ (zk )]2 ∆x
n→∞
k =1
Z b q
= 1 + [f ′ (x)]2 dx.
a

p
The quantity 1 + [f ′ (x)]2 dx is called differential arc length
and sometimes denoted ds, i.e.
q
ds = 1 + [f ′ (x)]2 dx.
Example

Find the arc length of f (x) = 32 (x 2 + 1)3/2 on the interval [1, 4].
y

40

30

20

10

0 x
1 2 3 4
Solution
2 2
f (x) = (x + 1)3/2
3
f ′ (x) = 2x(x 2 + 1)1/2
Z 4q
 2
s = 1 + 2x(x 2 + 1)1/2 dx
1
Z 4q
= 1 + 4x 2 (x 2 + 1) dx
1
Z 4p
= 4x 4 + 4x 2 + 1 dx
1
Z 4q Z 4
= (2x 2 + 1)2 dx = (2x 2 + 1) dx
1 1
 x=4
2 3
= x +x
3
 x=1  
128 2
= +4 − + 1 = 45
3 3
Example

1
Find the arc length of f (x) = 2x 2/3 on the interval [ , 7].
3
y

0 x
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Solution (1 of 2)

f (x) = 2x 2/3
4 −1/3
f ′ (x) = x
3 s
4 −1/3 2
Z 7   Z 7 r
16
s = 1+ x dx = 1 + 2/3 dx
1/3 3 1/3 9x
s
Z 7 7
9x 2/3 + 16
Z
1 p 2/3
= dx = 9x + 16 dx
1/3 9x 2/3 1/3 3x
1/3

Integrate by substitution with

u = 9x 2/3 + 16
1 1
du = dx.
18 3x 1/3
Solution (2 of 2)

Z 7
1 p 2/3
s = 9x + 16 dx
1/3 3x 1/3
Z 9(7)2/3 +16
1
= u 1/2 du
18 9(1/3)2/3 +16
2/3
1 3/2 u=9(7) +16
 
= u
27 u=9(1/3)2/3 +16
1  3/2 1  3/2
= 9(7)2/3 + 16 − 9(1/3)2/3 + 16
27 27
≈ 9.28374
Numerically Estimating Arc Length

Estimate the arc length of f (x) = x 3 on the interval [−3, 2].

y

x
-3 -2 -1 1 2

-5

-10

-15

-20

-25
Solution

f (x) = x 3
f ′ (x) = 3x 2
Z 2q
s = 1 + (3x 2 )2 dx
−3
Z 2 p
= 1 + 9x 4 dx
−3
≈ 36.2884
Functions of y

If a curve is described as a function of y for c ≤ y ≤ d then the

arc length of the curve is
Z d q
s= 1 + [f ′ (y )]2 dy .
c
Example
Find the arc length of x = ln(sec y ) for y ∈ [0, π/4].
0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
Solution

f (y ) = ln(sec y )
f ′ (y ) = tan y
Z π/4 q Z π/4 q
s = 2
1 + tan y dy = sec2 y dy
0 0
Z π/4
= sec y dy
0
y =π/4
= [ln(sec y + tan y )]y =0
√ √
= ln( 2 + 1) − ln 1 = ln( 2 + 1)
Arc Length Function
Suppose f is continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b),
then f is also continuous on [a, x] and differentiable on (a, x),
for every a < x < b.

Definition
The arc length function denoted s(x) is defined to be
Z xq
s(x) = 1 + [f ′ (t)]2 dt
a

for a < x < b.

By the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

ds
q
= 1 + [f ′ (x)]2 .
dx
Example
√
Find the arc length function for the curve y = sin−1 x + 1 − x2
with starting point (0, 1).
y
1.6

1.5

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.1

x
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Solution

p
y = sin−1 x + 1 − x 2
dy 1 x
= √ −√
dx 1−x 2 1 − x2
 2
dy 1 2x x2
= − +
dx 1 − x2 1 − x2 1 − x2
 2
dy 2 − 2x 2(1 − x) 2
1+ = 2
= =
dx 1−x (1 − x)(1 + x) 1+x
Z xr
2 h √ √ it=x
s(x) = dt = 2 2 1 + t
0 1+t t=0
√ √
= 2 2( 1 + x − 1)
Challenging Example
The curves with equations x 2k + y 2k = 1 for k = 1, 2, . . . are
graphed below. Set up an integral for the arc length L2k .
Speculate lim L2k .
k →∞

1.0

0.5

x2 + y2  1
x4 + y4  1
0.0
y

x6 + y6  1
x8 + y8  1
x 10 + y 10  1
-0.5

-1.0
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
x
Solution

x 2k + y 2k = 1
 1/2k
y = 1 − x 2k for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1
dy 1   1−2k
2k
= 1 − x 2k
dx 2k r
Z 1
1
1−2k
L2k = 4 1 + 2 1 − x 2k k dx
0 4k
lim L2k = 8
k →∞
Homework

▶ Read Section 8.1

▶ Exercises: WebAssign/D2L