The following applet approximates the length of the parametric curve defined by x=x(t) and y=y(t) for a ≤ t ≤ b. Simply enter the functions x(t) and y=y(t) and the values a, b (in radians) and 0 ≤ n ≤ 1,000, the number of subintervals.

You may change the values a and b by manually inputing a new value. You may also change these values by dragging the corresponding point around the origin. To move the graph, simply drag any point to a new location. To label the x-axis in radians (i.e. multiples of pi), click on the graph and press "control-r". To switch back, simply press "control-r" again.

Here is a list of functions that can be used with this applet.