Unit Sphere Average Distance

Calculus Level 3

Consider a unit sphere centered on the origin in the x y z xyz coordinate system. What is the average distance from a point on the sphere to the point ( x , y , z ) = ( 1 , 0 , 0 ) (x,y,z) = (1,0,0) ?

Note: Take a surface-area-weighted average


The answer is 1.3333.

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1 solution

Mark Hennings
Jun 19, 2019

Splitting up the spherical shell as infinitesimal circular discs that subtend an angle θ \theta at the origin, the expected distance is 1 4 π 0 π 2 π sin θ d θ × 2 sin 1 2 θ = 0 π 2 sin 2 1 2 θ cos 1 2 θ d θ = [ 4 3 sin 3 1 2 θ ] 0 π = 4 3 \begin{aligned} \tfrac{1}{4\pi}\int_0^\pi 2\pi \sin\theta \,d\theta \times 2\sin\tfrac12\theta & = \; \int_0^\pi 2\sin^2\tfrac12\theta \cos\tfrac12\theta\,d\theta \; = \; \Big[\tfrac43\sin^3\tfrac12\theta\Big]_0^\pi \; = \; \boxed{\tfrac43} \end{aligned}

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