Physics I / Problem-Solving: Multivariable Calculus
Practice question · Put in order

Order this complete solution of a classic: find the mass of a hemisphere of radius RR whose density grows with height, ρ=kz\rho = kz.

Hints
  1. The workflow is always: coordinates ← symmetry, then integrand (with Jacobian!), then limits, then evaluate.
  2. The upper hemisphere stops at the equator: φ\varphi runs only to π/2\pi/2.
Show the answer
  1. Recognize the symmetry and choose spherical coordinates
  2. Express the density: z=ρcosφz = \rho\cos\varphi, so density =kρcosφ= k\rho\cos\varphi
  3. Assemble the integrand with the Jacobian: kρcosφρ2sinφk\rho\cos\varphi \cdot \rho^{2}\sin\varphi
  4. Set hemisphere limits: ρ[0,R]\rho \in [0,R], φ[0,π/2]\varphi \in [0, \pi/2], θ[0,2π]\theta \in [0, 2\pi]
  5. Separate and evaluate the three one-variable integrals
Why

This is the full multivariable pipeline in one problem: symmetry chooses coordinates, the Jacobian corrects volumes, limits encode the shape, and separability turns a 3D integral into three easy 1D ones (answer: kπR4/4k\pi R^{4}/4). Mastering the pipeline matters more than any single integral.

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