Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Arjun Muralidharan
Mr. Acre
AP Calculus
27 February 2017
Solids of Revolutions
Calculus is often perceived as difficult, full of equations and formulas, and fancy symbols
that sometimes make no sense. However, there is a certain beauty with how the concepts of
calculus can interact with each other to create and branch off into a wondrous combination. One
concept that can achieve this mysticality is the integral. The integral can be used to compute
many complex problems in mathematics and virtual has no limit (except its lower and upper
bound ;} ).
Calculus can be used to find the area under any curve. The area beneath a curve and the
x-axis between a lower and an upper bound is known as the definite integral. The definite
integral of a function, f(x), from x = a to x = b is the product of the independent variable, b-a,
and the dependent variable, the values of f(x). The proper calculus notation for the definite
integral is:
b
f (x) dx
a
The a and b refer to as the limits of integration, where a is the lower limit and b
is the upper limit; these give the range of x-coordinates in which the function will be integrated.
F(x) is the continuous function that will be integrated, while dx is the change in x.
Muralidharan 2
Figure 1 shows a visual representation of the definite integral and each of the four values
used to calculate the integral. To find the area using calculus, the region between the curve and
the x-axis is sliced into an infinite amount of vertical strips. These vertical strips are in the form
of rectangles whose base is the change in x, dx, and height is the function, f(x). The area of
these strips are calculated and then summed together to find the total area underneath the curve.
In the figure above, the limits of integration is between two to six, and the definite integral can
be written as:
6
A = x dx
2
Additionally to finding the area under a curve, calculus can be used to find the area
between two curves or functions! To calculate this, the area under one of the curves can be
subtracted from the area underneath the second curve. The definite integral between these two
Since the limits of integrations and dx are tantamount, this integral can be further
simplified into:
b
A = [f (x) g (x)] dx
a
The dx represents the width of a rectangle, while the height of the infinite number of
thin rectangles now becomes the difference between the two functions, f(x) and g(x). When
finding the area between two curves, it is also critical to note that it is always the bottom curve or
Figure 2 shows how the area between the two curves is conceptualized. The limits of
integration are the x-coordinates of the intersection points of the two curves with the lower
bound of 0 and the upper bound of 1. The height of the rectangles, which is the difference in the
Muralidharan 4
y-coordinates from f(x) and g(x), is shown, and the base of the rectangles remain the change in x,
dx. In Figure 2 above, the definite integral between the two curves can be written as:
1
A = (x x) dx
0
The function, y=x, comes first in the integral because it is the function on top (its
y-values are greater than those of y=x between the intersection points).
Moreover, the definite integral can be utilized to find the volume of revolved curves.
These revolved curves can form incredible, unique shapes whose volume can be calculated. The
three most common methods to finding the volume of revolved solids are the disks, rings, and
shells method.
The first method is the disk method. To find the area between a curve and the x-axis,
rectangles are used with the width of dx; however, when the curve is revolved, the rectangles are
also revolved around an axis of rotation which creates thin disk cylinders! The radius of one of
the disk is equal to the function, f(x), while the width is equal to dx. The volume of a cylindrical
Figure 3 shows how the disk method works with curves revolved around the x-axis. As
illustrated, when the dx cut is revolved around the x-axis it forms a cylindrical disk whose radius
is that of the function, f(x). By finding the volume of the infinite number of these thin disks, the
curve, f(x), and the height of each cylinder would be its thickness, dx, along the x-axis. Since the
dx cuts, or thickness, runs along the x-axis, the cross sections are perpendicular to the axis of
rotation.
The second method to finding the volume of a revolved curve is the ring method, also
known as the washer method. The ring method is used when the volume of a revolved shape is
not solid throughout. Since here is a gap in the middle of the solid, that means center volume
must be subtracted from the total. The ring method includes two curves being revolved, so two
Figure 4 illustrates how the ring method is applied. The concept behind the ring method
can be simply explained by subtracting the small radius disk from the large radius disk, and a
way to achieve this is to create an infinite amount of rings and then summing their volumes
(similar to the disk method). These rings have two radii, a big and small radius. The big radius is
the function that is on top, while the small radius is the one underneath. The volume of one such
Therefore, in integral notation, the volume of the revolved shape using the ring method is
as follows:
b
V = R 2 h r 2 h
a
R refers to the larger radius, while r refers to the smaller radius, and the h is the
small cut that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. This integral can be further simplified
The next method for finding the volume of a revolved solid is the shell method. The shell
method, instead of using cuts perpendicular to the axis of rotation, uses cuts that are parallel. The
shell method takes these thin rectangular cuts and rotates them around the vertical axis to create a
cylindrical shell with an infinitely small thickness. The volume of one such shell is equal to 2r
(circumference of the original cylinder) * height (value of the function, x or y) * thickness (dx or
dy).
Muralidharan 7
Figure 5 illustrates how the volume of a revolved object can be found using the shell
method. The long rectangular strips are revolved around the vertical axis to hollow cylinders that
is vertical, the radius becomes x, the thickness becomes dx, and the height is the function in
terms of x. However, if the axis of rotation is horizontal, the radius becomes y, the thickness
It is integral to have all the pieces of the integrand be in terms of the same variable.
The disk, ring, and shell methods are not the only ways to find the volume of solids with
calculus, there is another one: the cross section method or slab method. The cross section method
inscribes shapes, such as squares, triangles, semicircles, with infinitely small thickness
perpendicular to the x-axis into the function/curve. These shapes are summed together using an
The setup of the integral for the cross section method is general because the area equation
in the integral is based on what shape is being inscribed. In general, the volume of a solid by
A and b once again refer to the boundaries of the area. The area of shape is the area
of the cross section shape (rectangle: w, triangle: bh, semicircles: ), while dx (or dy) is the
thickness.
Calculus can provide solutions to even the most difficult mathematical problems. The
integral is most commonly used in finding the area under a curve or between two curves, but its
value reaches far beyond the classroom. Using definite integrals, calculus helps to find areas
under curves/functions, areas between two curves, volumes of revolved solids, and volumes of
Sample Problems
x
Let f(x) = x and g(x) = 3
. R is the region in Quadrant I bounded by the graphs of f(x) and
g(x).
curves is needed. In Rs domain, f(x) is always above g(x), so g(x) is subtracted from f(x) to find
the height.
b
A = f (x) g (x) dx
a
The two graphs intersect at x = 0 and x = 9, so the lower limit of integration would be 0 and the
9
A = x x
3
dx
0
A = 4.5 un2
B. Find the volume of the solid generated when R is rotated about the horizontal line y = -2
Muralidharan 10
When the two graphs are revolved, the solid formed will have a hollow center, so the ring/washer
method is needed.
b
V = (R2 r2 ) dx
a
The axis of rotation is a horizontal line that is parallel to the x-axis, so the limits of integration
remain the same. The larger radius would be f(x) = x as it is above g(x) = 3x .
9
2
V = ([(x) ( 3x )2 ] dx
0
Since the axis of rotation is 2 units less than the x-axis, 2 needs to be added to both radii.
9
2
V = ([(x + 2) ( 3x + 2)2 ] dx
0
C. The region R is the base of a solid. For this solid, cross sections perpendicular to the x-axis
are isosceles right triangles with one leg on the base. Find the volume of this solid.
Muralidharan 11
The general integral for a cross section method includes the area of the shape inscribed and the
thickness.
b
V = Ashape dx
a
The area of a triangle is bh. The slabs are perpendicular to the x-axis (dx), so the limits of
Isosceles right triangles have equal b and h, so only the value of the base is needed and that
V = 1.35 un3
Works Cited
"Disk Method." 6.2 Volumes of Revolution - Disk Method. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
Muralidharan 12
<http://www2.bc.cc.ca.us/resperic/Math6A/Lectures/ch6/2/disk.htm>.
"Function Revolution." Interactivate: Function Revolution. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
<http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/FunctionRevolution/>.
"Shell Method." 6.2 Volumes of Revolution - Shell Method. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
<http://www2.bc.cc.ca.us/resperic/Math6A/Lectures/ch6/2/shell.htm>.
"Washer Method." 6.2 Volumes of Revolution - Washer Method. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2017.
<http://www2.bc.cc.ca.us/resperic/Math6A/Lectures/ch6/2/washer.htm>.