Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
The enclosed area between two polar curves is the region in the plane that is bounded by these curves. It represents the area of overlap between the two curves.
To find the enclosed area between polar curves, we need to integrate. Integration involves adding up infinitely many small areas to find the total area.
Interval of integration: When integrating to find the enclosed area, we need to specify an interval over which we are integrating. This interval determines how far along each curve we are considering for finding the overlap.
Polar coordinates: Polar coordinates are a system used to locate points in a plane using an angle and a distance from a fixed point (the pole). They are commonly used when working with polar curves.
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