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Use line integral to calculate the area of the surface that is the part of the cylinder defined by $x^2+y^2=4$, which is above the $x,y$ plane and under the plane $x+2y+z=6$.

I recently learnt that:
$\frac{1}{2}\oint\limits_{L}xdy - ydx\,=\frac{1}{2}\iint_D(1+1)=\text{Area of D}$. while $L$ is the curve around $D$. (Not sure if I translated it right).

And seems like I can't use that easily here, so

My understanding of the problem (First approach):
In this question, I guess I have to work with these steps (Some of them I'm not sure how to do them):
Find the intersections between the two planes and the cylinder and calculate their spaces using the formula above.
Find some equation that represents the sides of the wanted part of the cylinder? (This is the part I'm not sure about).

But a Problem might mess up my plan and that's if the planes intersect inside my cylinder, which will make the wanted part of cylinder split into two, and I have no idea how to deal with that.

Second approach:
Since there's a Cylinder then why not try to use Cylindrical coordinates (I am not fully $100 \%$ understanding why this might work, What I think of is we're transforming the xyz plane to $r,a,z$ plane that will be some much easier surface to calculate it's area):
$x=rcos(a), y=rsin(a), z=z, |J|=r$.
But here I am stuck again, I'm not sure how to use this in my line integral and jump to a double integral again, It's my first question of trying to calculate area using line integral and I'm finding it difficult to link between them.

I would appreciate any help, thanks in advance!

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  • $\begingroup$ The first approach comes from Green's theorem and will work in 2D if you were finding area of a closed region in 2D. You could convert it into line integral with the vector field you mentioned. $\endgroup$
    – Math Lover
    Jun 13, 2021 at 12:11
  • $\begingroup$ A more straightforward approach here will be surface integral. Also what is the equation of the first plane? It is not clear. $\endgroup$
    – Math Lover
    Jun 13, 2021 at 12:15
  • $\begingroup$ @MathLover Yeah I noticed that the equation of the first plane is weird, but I think what they meant is $x-y=z$ or something. Could you elaborate on your first comment? It's still my first time dealing with line integrals and I'm not sure how to do it with the surface since all the examples I saw were for a closed region in 2D.. $\endgroup$
    – Pwaol
    Jun 13, 2021 at 13:03
  • $\begingroup$ In general, to find surface area, you should go through tutorial.math.lamar.edu/classes/calciii/SurfaceArea.aspx $\endgroup$
    – Math Lover
    Jun 13, 2021 at 13:12

2 Answers 2

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Parametrize the cylindrical surface as,

$r(\theta, z) = (2\cos\theta, 2\sin\theta, z)$

Now we know the surface area element of a cylinder is $dS = R \ dz \ d\theta = 2 \ dz \ d\theta$

or find $|r_{\theta} \times r_{z}| = 2$ (the radius of the cylinder)

$0 \leq \theta \leq 2\pi$. Lower bound of $z$ is $z = 0$ and upper bound is $z = 6 - x - 2y = 6 - 2 \cos\theta - 4 \sin\theta$

So surface area $S = \displaystyle \int_0^{2\pi} \int_0^{6 - 2 \cos\theta - 4 \sin\theta} 2 \ dz \ d\theta $

Edit (using line integral): please note that the question seeks surface area of only the cylinder's lateral surface.

So we define function $f(x,y) = 6 - x - 2y$ and we define our curve in XY-plane as $r (\theta) = (2 \cos \theta, 2 \sin \theta), 0 \leq \theta \leq 2\pi$

$|r'(\theta)| = 2$

$f(r(\theta)) = 6 - 2 \cos\theta - 4\sin\theta$

So the line integral to find surface area of the cylinder is,

$\displaystyle 2 \int_0^{2\pi} (6 - 2 \cos\theta - 4\sin\theta) \ d\theta$

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks alot for the help, sorry for late reply, could you please help with setting up the line integrals that are equal to this double integral? my main problem isn't with writing the bounds of double integral, it's that I have no idea how to represent that complicated area (atleast for me) using the line integrals. $\endgroup$
    – Pwaol
    Jun 13, 2021 at 20:31
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    $\begingroup$ oh ok understood $\endgroup$
    – Math Lover
    Jun 13, 2021 at 20:32
  • $\begingroup$ From Ripi2 picture I can see that I have to take the circle of intersection between $z=0$ and the cylinder, and the elliptic of intersection between the other plane and the cylinder, and I'm just still not sure the lines going up and down $\endgroup$
    – Pwaol
    Jun 13, 2021 at 20:34
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    $\begingroup$ When I said it was easiest to just do surface integral to find surface area, I thought you asked to update for that. Sorry for the confusion. $\endgroup$
    – Math Lover
    Jun 13, 2021 at 20:38
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    $\begingroup$ I just checked the question. You do not need multiple line integrals as the question does not seek surface area of top and bottom surfaces but only of the lateral surface of the cylinder. $\endgroup$
    – Math Lover
    Jun 13, 2021 at 21:06
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This is the line you must use: enter image description here

You see you must solve four integrals

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  • $\begingroup$ Thanks alot! this really helps, just to clarify, the lines going up and down are supposed to be on the same line? (to cover all the area of the sides of cylinders). $\endgroup$
    – Pwaol
    Jun 13, 2021 at 20:35

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