Volume of Solid bounded by 2 surfaces of Paraboloids

Calculate the volume of the solid bounded by surfaces:

𝑧 = 4 − 𝑥2 − 𝑦2
2𝑧 = 2 + 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2

Solution

Sketch
1. 𝑧 = 4 − (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) is a paraboloid with maximum value of z equals 4 when (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) is zero, and
on xy plane (z = 0), it forms a circle with radius 2. Note that this paraboloid goes downward infinitely,
but only shown bounded by xy plane in the sketching below.
z
4

y
2
x 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 22

2. 2𝑧 = 2 + (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) is a paraboloid with minimum value of z equals 1 when (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) is zero, and

it does not touch the xy plane. Note that this paraboloid goes upward infinitely.

1
y

The shaded volume V is shown below, bounded by the 2 surfaces of paraboloids. R is the area within
the circle parallel to xy plane (dotted red), due to the intersection between the two paraboloids.

V 𝑧 = 4 − (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )
R
(the paraboloid with a maximum forms an
upper limit for surface boundary w.r.t. z axis)
𝑧 = 1 + 12(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )

(the paraboloid with a minimum forms a lower limit for surface boundary w.r.t. z axis)
The volume can be obtained from:

𝑧2 𝑦2 (𝑧) 𝑥2 (𝑦,𝑧)

𝑉 = ∭ 𝑑𝑉 = ∫ ∫ ∫ 𝑑𝑥𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑧
𝑉
𝑧1 𝑦1 (𝑧) 𝑥1 (𝑦,𝑧)

With easy limits on the first axis for z: z1 = 1 and z2 = 4, however the limits for the curve y equation
in yz plane is not easily obtainable, and surface x equation will be in terms of square root of the other
variables, which expected to be difficult to deal with when evaluating the integrals.

We can change the order of the integration such that the surface equation becomes the limit in z, since
the equations of the two surfaces (paraboloids) are easily written in terms of z(x,y).
𝑥2 𝑦2 (𝑥) 𝑧2 (𝑥,𝑦) 𝑧2 (𝑥,𝑦)

𝑉= ∫ ∫ ∫ 𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑦𝑑𝑥 = ∬ ∫ 𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑅
𝑅
𝑥1 𝑦1 (𝑥) 𝑧1 (𝑥,𝑦) 𝑧1 (𝑥,𝑦)

For double integral in xy plane, let dR = dydx = rdrd representing the elemental area of circle. To
find the double integral for area R, we can use circular polar coordinate by transforming the variable x
and y in Cartesian coordinate into r and  in polar coordinate. The limit for  is one revolution, and
for maximum radius r (upper limit for r), we can obtain through the boundary of the intersection of
the two paraboloids forming a circle:
1
1 + 2(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) = 4 − (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 )
3 2
2
(𝑥 + 𝑦2) = 3
2
𝑥 + 𝑦2 = 2

Knowing the form of equation of a circle is 𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 = 𝑟 2 , hence limit for r: 0  √2. The lower limit
for surface paraboloid is given by 𝑧1 = 1 + 12(𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ) and upper limit of surface paraboloid is
𝑧2 = 4 − (𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 ). Since both paraboloid forms circular coordinate in xy plane, the volume can be
obtained in circular polar coordinate bounded by the two paraboloids’ surfaces:
𝑧2 (𝑟,𝜃) 4−𝑟 2
2𝜋 √2 √2
1
𝑉=∬ ∫ 𝑑𝑧 𝑟𝑑𝑟𝑑𝜃 = ∫ 𝑑𝜃 ∫ 𝑟 𝑑𝑟 ∫ 𝑑𝑧 = 2𝜋 ∫ 𝑟 [(4 − 𝑟 2 ) − (1 + 2𝑟 2 )] 𝑑𝑟
𝑅 0 0 0
𝑧1 (𝑟,𝜃) 1+12𝑟 2

Note that the integral with respect to  has fixed limits and  does not appear as variable limit
anywhere else, so that integral can be evaluated separately as a product integral.

Also note that the integral with respect to r has fixed limits, but r also appears in the limit of other
integral (with respect to z), hence this integral cannot be evaluated as a separate product integral. So
we need to evaluate from right to left by evaluating the integral with respect to z first to have result in
terms of r, and then only evaluate the integral with respect to r.

Finally
√2 √2
3 3 3
𝑉 = 2𝜋 ∫ 3𝑟 − 2𝑟 3 𝑑𝑟 = 2𝜋 [2𝑟 2 − 8𝑟 4 ] = 3𝜋
0 0