Arkansas Tech University

MATH 2924: Calculus II

Dr. Marcel B. Finan
10 Solids of Revolution- Arc Length
In this section we will discuss the use of denite integrals in solving problems
in geometry such as nding the
volume of a solid of known cross-section,
volume of a solid of revolution,
arc length of a curve in the plane.
Recall the process of slicing which consists of the following steps:
Divide the solid, region, or curve into small pieces whose volume, area,
or length can be easily approximated.
Add the volumes, areas, or lengths of all the pieces. (Thus obtaining
a Riemann sum) that approximates the total volume, total area, or total
length.
Take the limit of the Riemann sum from the previous step as n .
This gives us a denite integral that gives the total volume, total area, or
total length.
Volume of a Solid with Known Cross Section
When we cut a solid with a vertical plane then the common region between
the plane and the solid is knwon as a cross section. By known cross sections
we mean cross sections such as circles, squares, rectangles, or rings.
Let R be a solid lying alongside some interval [a, b] of the xaxis. See Fig-
ure 10.1. Divide the interval into n equal subintervals with mesh points
x
0
= a < x
1
< x
2
< < x
n1
< x
n
= b. The planes that are perpendicular
to the xaxis at the points x
0
, x
1
, x
2
, x
n
divide the solid into n slices.
Since the cross section of R changes little along a subinterval [x
i1
, x
i
], the
slab positioned alongside that subinterval can be considered a cylinder of
1
height x and whose base has area A(x
i
). So the volume of the slice is
V
i
A(x
i
)x.
The approximate total volume of the solid is
V =
n

i=1
V
i

n

i=1
A(x
i
)x.
Once again we recognize a Riemann sum at the right. Letting n we
obtain the so-called Cavalieris principle:
V =
_
b
a
A(x)dx.
Of course, the formula can be applied to any axis. For instance if a solid lies
alongside some interval [a, b] on the y-axis, the formula becomes
V =
_
b
a
A(y)dy.
Figure 10.1
Example 10.1
Find the volume of a cone of radius r and height h.
Solution.
Assume that the cone is placed with its vertex in the origin and its axis on
the xaxis as shown in Figure 10.2.
2
Figure 10.2
The cross section of the cone at each point x is a circular disk of radius y.
Using similar triangles, we nd y =
xr
h
. Hence its area is A(x) = (
xr
h
)
2
. The
volume of the cone can now be computed by Cavalieris formula:
V =
_
h
0
r
2
h
2
x
2
dx =
r
2
h
2
_
x
3
3
_
h
0
=
1
3
r
2
h.
Example 10.2
There is a solid whose bottom face is the disk x
2
+ y
2
1 and every cross-
section of the solid perpendicular to xaxis is a square. Find the volume of
the solid.
Solution.
We view the solid a cardboard model shown in Figure 10.3.
Figure 10.3
A typical cross-section is a square of length side s as shown in Figure 10.4.
3
Figure 10.4
The length s is given by the expression s = 2
_
1 y
2
. Thus, the area of a
cross section is A(y) = s
2
= 4(1 y)
2
. By Cavalieris formula the volume is
V =
_
1
1
4(1 y
2
)dy = 4 y
4
3
y
3

1
1
=
16
3
.
Volume of Solids of Revolution
By a solid of revolution we mean a solid obtained by revolving a region
around a line. Consider the solid of revolution obtained by revolving a plane
region under the graph of f(x) around the xaxis. See Figure 10.5.
Each cross section is a circular disk of radius y, so its area is A(x) = y
2
=
[f(x)]
2
. Hence, by Cavalieris principle, the volume of the solid is
V =
_
b
a
[f(x)]
2
dx.
Figure 10.5
4
Example 10.3
The region bounded by the curve y =

x +1 and the xaxis between x = 0

and x = 9 is revolved around the xaxis. Find the volume of this solid of
revolution.
Solution.
The solid of revolution is given in Figure 10.6. A cross-section is a disk of
area A(x) = (

x + 1)
2
. Thus, the total volume is given by
V =
_
9
0
(

x + 1)
2
dx =
_
9
0
(x + 2

x + 1)dx
=
_
x
2
2
+
4
3
x
3
2
+ x
_
9
0
=
171
2
268.61 cubic units
Figure 10.6
If the revolution is performed around the yaxis, the roles of x and y are
interchanged so in that case the formula is
_
b
a
x
2
dy,
where x must be written as a function of y, i.e. x = f
1
(y).
Example 10.4
The curve y = x
2
, 0 x 1 is rotated about the y-axis. Find the volume of
the resulting solid of revolution.
5
Solution.
The solid of revolution is shown in Figure 10.7.
Figure 10.7
A cross-section is a disk of area A(y) = y. Thus, by Cavalieris principle the
volume is
V =
_
1
0
ydy =
y
2
2

1
0
1.571. cubic units
If the region being revolved is the area between two curves y = f(x) and
y = g(x), then each cross section is an annular ring (or washer) with outer
radius f(x) and inner radius g(x) (assuming f(x) g(x) 0.) See Figure
10.8.
Figure 10.8
The area of the annular ring is A(x) = [(f(x))
2
(g(x))
2
], hence the volume
of the solid will be
V =
_
b
a
[(y
top
)
2
(y
bottom
)
2
]dx =
_
b
a
[f(x)
2
g(x)
2
]dx.
If the revolution is performed around the y-axis, then
V =
_
b
a
[(x
right
)
2
(x
left
)
2
]dy.
6
Example 10.5
Find the volume of the solid obtained by revolving the area between y = x
2
and y =

x around the x-axis.

Solution.
First we need to nd the intersection points of these curves in order to nd
the interval of integration. Setting x
2
=

x and solving for x we nd (0, 0)

and (1, 1). Hence, we must integrate from x = 0 to x = 1.
V =
_
1
0
[(

x)
2
(x
2
)
2
]dx =
_
1
0
(x x
4
)dx
=
_
1
2
x
2

1
5
x
5

1
0
=
3
10
.
Arc Length
The denite integral can also be used to compute the length of a smooth
curve (i.e. a curve with no corner points). Recall that when using the inte-
gral to nd the area of a region one approximates the region by rectangles
the sum of whose areas approximates the area of the region. In nding the
length of an arc one approximates the arc by a nite set of straight line seg-
ments. An approximation of the length of the arc is made by using the well
known formula for the length of a line segment and taking a sum . A limiting
process then yields the denite integral which is equal to the length of the
arc.
To elaborate the above statement, if an arc is just a line segment with end-
points (x
1
, y
1
) and (x
2
, y
2
) then its length can be found by the Pythagorean
theorem:
s =
_
(x
2
x
1
)
2
+ (y
2
y
1
)
2
=
_
x + y.
Now, if the arc is the graph of a function f(x) dened on an interval [a, b],
then we divide the interval into n equal subintervals. See Figure 10.9. The
corresponding points in the arc have coordinates (x
i
, f(x
i
)), so two consecu-
tive points are seperated by a distance equal to
s
i
=
_
(x
i
x
i1
)
2
+ (f(x
i
) f(x
i1
))
2
.
But by the Mean Value Theorem there is a point x

i
in the interval [x
i1
, x
i
]
such that
f(x
i
) f(x
i1
) = f

(x

i
)(x
i
x
i1
) = f

(x

i
)x.
Hence,
s
i
=
_
(x)
2
+ [f

(x

i
)x]
2
=
_
1 + [f

(x

i
)]
2
x.
7
The total length of the arc is
s
n

i=1
s
i
=
n

i=1
_
1 + [f

(x

i
)]
2
x.
Again, we recognize the sum on the right-hand side as a Riemann sum which
converges to the following integral
s =
_
b
a
_
1 + [f

(x)]
2
dx =
_
b
a

1 +
_
dy
dx
_
2
dx.
Figure 10.9
Example 10.6
Find the length of the arc dened by the curve y = x
3
2
between the points
(0, 0) and (1, 1).
Solution.
Using the arc length formula we have
s =
_
1
0
_
1 + (
dy
dx
)
2
dx =
_
1
0
_
1 + [(x
3
2
)

]
2
dx
=
_
1
0
_
1 + (
3
2
x
1
2
)
2
dx =
_
1
0
_
1 +
9x
4
dx
=
_
1
27
(4 + 9x)
3
2
_
1
0
=
1
27
(13
3
2
8) unit length
8