Area of a sector is the integral of arc length?

In summary, the formula for the area of a sector is 0.5 (radius)^2 * angle, while the arc length is simply radius * angle. It can be argued that the area of a sector is the integral of the arc length, as they are both linear fractions of the area and circumference of a circle, respectively. By making small changes in radius, we can see that the ratio of change in area to change in radius is equal to the circumference of the original circle. This can be formalized using mathematical techniques such as Cauchy's limits and series program or Robinson's infinitesimal program.
  • #1
24forChromium
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Area_sector = 0.5 (radius)^2 * angle
Arc length= radius * angle

Can it be said and proven that the area of a sector is the integral of the arc length? What would that even mean?
 
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  • #2
24forChromium said:
Area_sector = 0.5 (radius)^2 * angle
Arc length= radius * angle

Can it be said and proven that the area of a sector is the integral of the arc length? What would that even mean?
I assume you mean the integral with respect to the radius.
That being so, draw a diagram which shows a sector divided into arcs of width dr. Can you see the interpretation?
 
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  • #3
Well, there is something there. To see it, we have to think in terms of the effects of small changes in r on the area of a circle.
First, note that both the area of a sector and arc length of a sector are just a linear fraction of the area of a circle and the circumference of a circle, respectively. So let us look at those.
First, consider the circumference of a circle, which is [itex]2\pi r[/itex]. If we increase r by an extremely small amount [itex]\Delta r[/itex], consider how much area is added to the circle: a thin strip that can be unrolled, which, if we ignore the slanted ends, is approximately of area [itex](2\pi r)\cdot \Delta r[/itex].
So the ratio of change in area with respect to change in radius is approximately [itex]\frac{\Delta A}{\Delta r} = 2\pi r = C[/itex], the circumference of the original circle. If we start with a circumference, then, and have a series of extremely small changes in r, we just multiply each circumference by each small change in r and sum them up to get the change in area. This is essentially the physicist's quick and dirty Riemann integral of the circumference with respect to r.
To make this formal, we have to use more rigorous language than "approximately", so we would add in a formalism such as Cauchy's limits and series program, or Robinson's infinitesimal program.
 

Related to Area of a sector is the integral of arc length?

What is the formula for finding the area of a sector?

The formula for finding the area of a sector is (θ/360) π r², where θ is the central angle and r is the radius of the sector.

How is the area of a sector related to its arc length?

The area of a sector is the integral of its arc length. This means that the area is equal to the length of the arc multiplied by the distance from the center of the circle to the midpoint of the arc.

Why is the area of a sector important in geometry?

The area of a sector is important in geometry because it allows us to calculate the size of a specific portion of a circle. This is useful in many real-world applications, such as calculating the area of a slice of pizza or the area of a section of land.

Can the area of a sector be negative?

No, the area of a sector cannot be negative. It represents a physical quantity and cannot have a negative value.

How can the area of a sector be used to find the area of a segment?

The area of a sector can be used to find the area of a segment by subtracting the area of the triangle formed by the radius and the two radii connecting the center of the circle to the endpoints of the arc from the area of the sector. This gives us the area of the segment.

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