Question
Use partial fractions to integrate the following:
Sparks and dust generated by grinding.
Ask by Harmon Reid. in South Africa
Mar 27,2025
Upstudy AI Solution
Tutor-Verified Answer
Answer
The integral of
is
.
Solution
We wish to evaluate
Step 1. Factorize the Denominator
Notice that
Thus, the integrand can be rewritten as
Step 2. Decompose into Partial Fractions
We set
Multiply both sides by
to clear the denominators:
Expanding the right-hand side:
Then,
Step 3. Equate Coefficients
Match the coefficients of like powers of
:
- Coefficient of
: - Coefficient of
: - Constant term:
From
, we obtain
Then using
:
Thus, the partial fractions are
Step 4. Integrate Each Term
Now, integrate term-by-term:
Step 5. Combine the Results
Thus, the integral becomes
where
is the constant of integration.
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Bonus Knowledge
To solve the integral using partial fractions, we first factor the denominator:
Now, we set up the partial fraction decomposition:
Multiplying through by the common denominator
gives us:
Expanding the right-hand side:
Next, we gather coefficients for
,
, and the constant terms:
-
(coefficient of ), -
(coefficient of ), -
(constant term).
From
, we find
gives
. Then substituting
into
results in
, leading to
.
Thus, we have:
Now integrating each term:
And there you go! The integral is:
Did you know that Romans used grinding as a technique to create fine materials for everything from pottery to cosmetics? Grinding was an essential skill, showcasing the innovation behind their ancient engineering feats; they valued both beauty and practicality in their creations!
Every time someone encounters a complex fraction, they might feel a slight panic. Common mistakes include forgetting to properly factor the denominator or miscalculating the coefficients during the setup of partial fractions. Take a moment to double-check your factorizations and your algebra—your future self will thank you for it!