1. A student claims that changing the order of integration in a Cartesian triple integral always requires changing the integrand. Assess this claim.
- A.The claim is correct; the integrand must always be rewritten when the order changes
- B.The claim is incorrect; the integrand stays the same, but the limits of integration must be adjusted to describe the same region
- C.The claim is correct because the Jacobian changes with the order of integration
- D.The claim is incorrect; neither the integrand nor the limits change when the order is reversed
View Answer
Answer: The claim is incorrect; the integrand stays the same, but the limits of integration must be adjusted to describe the same region
Fubini's theorem: By Fubini's theorem, for continuous functions over bounded regions, the order of integration can be changed without altering the integrand $f(x,y,z)$. However, the limits of integration must be rewritten to correctly describe the same region $E$ in the new order. Why the correct answer works: The function being integrated does not change—only the limits need adjustment because the geometric description of the region depends on which variable is integrated first. Why distractors fail: Option A and C are wrong because the integrand and Jacobian (which is $1$ in Cartesian) do not change. Option D is wrong because the limits generally do change.