Triple Integrals

Multiple Integrals
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Triple Integrals
Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Triple Integrals
We have defined single integrals for functions of one
variable and double integrals for functions of two variables,
so we can define triple integrals for functions of three
variables.
Let’s first deal with the simplest case where f is defined on

a rectangular box:
B = {(x, y, z) | a  x  b, c  y  d, r  z  s}
The first step is to divide B into sub-boxes. We do this by

dividing the interval [a, b] into l subintervals [xi–1, xi] of
equal width x, dividing [c, d] into m subintervals of width
y, and dividing [r, s] into n subintervals of width z.
3
Triple Integrals
The planes through the endpoints of
these subintervals parallel to the
coordinate planes divide the box B
into lmn sub-boxes
Bijk = [xi–1, xi]  [yj–1, yj]  [zk –1, zk]
which are shown in Figure 1.
Each sub-box has volume

V = x y z.
Figure 1 4
Triple Integrals
Then we form the triple Riemann sum
where the sample point is in Bijk.
By analogy with the definition of a double integral, we

define the triple integral as the limit of the triple Riemann
sums in (2).
5
Triple Integrals
Again, the triple integral always exists if f is continuous. We

can choose the sample point to be any point in the sub-
box, but if we choose it to be the point (xi, yj, zk) we get a
simpler-looking expression for the triple integral:
6
Triple Integrals
Just as for double integrals, the practical method for
evaluating triple integrals is to express them as iterated
integrals as follows.
The iterated integral on the right side of Fubini’s Theorem

means that we integrate first with respect to x (keeping
y and z fixed), then we integrate with respect to y (keeping
z fixed), and finally we integrate with respect to z.
7
Triple Integrals
There are five other possible orders in which we can
integrate, all of which give the same value.
For instance, if we integrate with respect to y, then z, and

then x, we have
8
Example 1
Evaluate the triple integral B xyz2 dV, where B is the
rectangular box given by
B = {(x, y, z) | 0  x  1, –1  y  2, 0  z  3}
Solution:
We could use any of the six possible orders of integration.
If we choose to integrate with respect to x, then y, and

then z, we obtain
9
Example 1 – Solution cont’d
10
Triple Integrals
Now we define the triple integral over a general bounded
region E in three-dimensional space (a solid) by much the
same procedure that we used for double integrals.
We enclose E in a box B of the type given by Equation 1.

Then we define a function F so that it agrees with f on E but
is 0 for points in B that are outside E.
By definition,
This integral exists if f is continuous and the boundary of E

is “reasonably smooth.”
11
Triple Integrals
The triple integral has essentially the same properties as
the double integral.
We restrict our attention to continuous functions f and to

certain simple types of regions.
12
Triple Integrals
A solid region E is said to be of type 1 if it lies between the
graphs of two continuous functions of x and y, that is,
E = {(x, y, z) | (x, y)  D, u1(x, y)  z  u2(x, y)}
where D is the projection of E onto the xy-plane as shown

in Figure 2.
A type 1 solid region

Figure 2 13
Triple Integrals
Notice that the upper boundary of the solid E is the surface
with equation z = u2(x, y), while the lower boundary is the
surface z = u1(x, y).
By the same sort of argument, it can be shown that if E is a

type 1 region given by Equation 5, then
The meaning of the inner integral on the right side of

Equation 6 is that x and y are held fixed, and therefore
u1(x, y) and u2(x, y) are regarded as constants, while
f(x, y, z) is integrated with respect to z. 14
Triple Integrals
In particular, if the projection D of E onto the xy-plane is a
type I plane region (as in Figure 3), then
E = {(x, y, z) | a  x  b, g1(x)  y  g2(x), u1(x, y)  z  u2(x, y)}
and Equation 6 becomes
A type 1 solid region where the projection D is a type I plane region

Figure 3 15
Triple Integrals
If, on the other hand, D is a type II plane region
(as in Figure 4), then
E = {(x, y, z) | c  y  d, h1(y)  x  h2(y), u1(x, y)  z  u2(x, y)}
and Equation 6 becomes
A type 1 solid region with a type II projection

Figure 4 16
Triple Integrals
A solid region E is of type 2 if it is of the form
E = {(x, y, z) | (y, z)  D, u1(y, z)  x  u2(y, z)}
where, this time, D is the projection

of E onto the yz-plane (see Figure 7).
The back surface is x = u1(y, z),

the front surface is x = u2(y, z), A type 2 region
and we have Figure 7
17
Triple Integrals
Finally, a type 3 region is of the form
E = {(x, y, z) | (x, z)  D, u1(x, z)  y  u2(x, z)}
where D is the projection of E onto the xz-plane, y = u1(x, z)

is the left surface, and y = u2(x, z) is the right surface
(see Figure 8).
A type 3 region
Figure 8 18
Triple Integrals
For this type of region we have
In each of Equations 10 and 11 there may be two possible

expressions for the integral depending on whether D is a
type I or type II plane region (and corresponding to
Equations 7 and 8).
19
Applications of Triple Integrals
20
Recall that if f(x)  0, then the single integral
represents the area under the curve y = f(x) from a to b,
and if f(x, y)  0, then the double integral D f(x, y) dA
represents the volume under the surface z = f(x, y) and
above D.
The corresponding interpretation of a triple integral

E f(x, y, z) dV, where f(x, y, z)  0, is not very useful
because it would be the “hypervolume” of a four-
dimensional object and, of course, that is very difficult to
visualize. (Remember that E is just the domain of the
function f; the graph of f lies in four-dimensional space.)
21
Nonetheless, the triple integral E f(x, y, z) dV can be
interpreted in different ways in different physical situations,
depending on the physical interpretations of x, y, z and
f(x, y, z).
Let’s begin with the special case where f(x, y, z) = 1 for all
points in E. Then the triple integral does represent the
volume of E:
22
For example, you can see this in the case of a type 1
region by putting f(x, y, z) = 1 in Formula 6:
and we know this represents the volume that lies between

the surfaces z = u1(x, y) and z = u2(x, y).
23
Example 5
Use a triple integral to find the volume of the tetrahedron T
bounded by the planes x + 2y + z = 2, x = 2y, x = 0, and
z = 0.
Solution:
The tetrahedron T and its projection D onto the xy-plane
are shown in Figures 14 and 15.
Figure 14 Figure 15 24
Example 5 – Solution cont’d
The lower boundary of T is the plane z = 0 and the upper

boundary is the plane x + 2y + z = 2, that is, z = 2 – x – 2y.
Therefore we have
(Notice that it is not necessary to use triple integrals to

compute volumes. They simply give an alternative method
for setting up the calculation.)
25
All the applications of double integrals can be immediately
extended to triple integrals.
For example, if the density function of a solid object that

occupies the region E is  (x, y, z), in units of mass per unit
volume, at any given point (x, y, z), then its mass is
and its moments about the three coordinate planes are
26
The center of mass is located at the point where
If the density is constant, the center of mass of the solid is

called the centroid of E.
The moments of inertia about the three coordinate

axes are
27
The total electric charge on a solid object occupying a
region E and having charge density  (x, y, z) is
If we have three continuous random variables X, Y, and Z,

their joint density function is a function of three variables
such that the probability that (X, Y, Z) lies in E is
28
In particular,
The joint density function satisfies
29

Triple Integrals

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Multiple Integrals

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Copyright © Cengage Learning. All rights reserved.

Let’s first deal with the simplest case where f is defined on

The first step is to divide B into sub-boxes. We do this by

Bijk = [xi–1, xi]  [yj–1, yj]  [zk –1, zk]

which are shown in Figure 1.

Each sub-box has volume

where the sample point is in Bijk.

By analogy with the definition of a double integral, we

Again, the triple integral always exists if f is continuous. We

The iterated integral on the right side of Fubini’s Theorem

For instance, if we integrate with respect to y, then z, and

If we choose to integrate with respect to x, then y, and

We enclose E in a box B of the type given by Equation 1.

This integral exists if f is continuous and the boundary of E

We restrict our attention to continuous functions f and to

E = {(x, y, z) | (x, y)  D, u1(x, y)  z  u2(x, y)}

where D is the projection of E onto the xy-plane as shown

A type 1 solid region

By the same sort of argument, it can be shown that if E is a

The meaning of the inner integral on the right side of

A type 1 solid region where the projection D is a type I plane region

A type 1 solid region with a type II projection

E = {(x, y, z) | (y, z)  D, u1(y, z)  x  u2(y, z)}

where, this time, D is the projection

The back surface is x = u1(y, z),

E = {(x, y, z) | (x, z)  D, u1(x, z)  y  u2(x, z)}

where D is the projection of E onto the xz-plane, y = u1(x, z)

In each of Equations 10 and 11 there may be two possible

The corresponding interpretation of a triple integral

and we know this represents the volume that lies between

The lower boundary of T is the plane z = 0 and the upper

(Notice that it is not necessary to use triple integrals to

For example, if the density function of a solid object that

and its moments about the three coordinate planes are

If the density is constant, the center of mass of the solid is

The moments of inertia about the three coordinate

If we have three continuous random variables X, Y, and Z,

The joint density function satisfies

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