Volumes by Cylindrical Shells

Some volume problems are very difficult to handle by the methods of Section 6.2. For
instance, lets consider the problem of finding the volume of the solid obtained by rotating
about the y-axis the region bounded by y
2x 2  x 3 and y
0. (See Figure 1.) If we slice
perpendicular to the y-axis, we get a washer. But to compute the inner radius and the outer
radius of the washer, we would have to solve the cubic equation y
2x 2  x 3 for x in
terms of y; thats not easy.
Fortunately, there is a method, called the method of cylindrical shells, that is easier to
use in such a case. Figure 2 shows a cylindrical shell with inner radius r1, outer radius r2,
and height h. Its volume V is calculated by subtracting the volume V1 of the inner cylinder
from the volume V2 of the outer cylinder:

y=2-
1

xL=?

xR=?

V
V2  V1


r 22 h 
r 21 h

r 22  r 21 h

FIGURE 1

r2  r1 r2  r1 h

2

r
r

r2  r1
hr2  r1 
2

1
If we let r
r2  r1 (the thickness of the shell) and r
2 r2  r1  (the average radius
of the shell), then this formula for the volume of a cylindrical shell becomes

V
2
rh r

and it can be remembered as

FIGURE 2

V
[circumference][height][thickness]
Now let S be the solid obtained by rotating about the y-axis the region bounded by
y
f x [where f x  0], y
0, x
a, and x
b, where b  a  0. (See Figure 3.)
y

y=

y=

FIGURE 3

We divide the interval a, b into n subintervals x i1, x i  of equal width x and let xi be
the midpoint of the ith subinterval. If the rectangle with base x i1, x i  and height f xi  is
rotated about the y-axis, then the result is a cylindrical shell with average radius xi , height
f xi , and thickness x (see Figure 4), so by Formula 1 its volume is
Vi
2
xi  f xi  x
Therefore, an approximation to the volume V of S is given by the sum of the volumes of
these shells:
n

V

V

i
1

 2
x f x  x
i

i
1

2 VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

This approximation appears to become better as n l . But, from the definition of an integral, we know that

y=

lim

 2
x f
x  x
y
i

n l  i
1

b
x i-1 xi

Thus, the following appears plausible:

2 The volume of the solid in Figure 3, obtained by rotating about the y-axis the
region under the curve y
f
x from a to b, is

y=

V
y 2
x f
x dx
a

2
xf
x dx

xi

FIGURE 4

where 0  a  b

The argument using cylindrical shells makes Formula 2 seem reasonable, but later we
will be able to prove it. (See Exercise 47.)
The best way to remember Formula 2 is to think of a typical shell, cut and flattened as
in Figure 5, with radius x, circumference 2
x, height f
x, and thickness x or dx :

2
x

circumference

 f
x dx
height

2x

FIGURE 5

This type of reasoning will be helpful in other situations, such as when we rotate about
lines other than the y-axis.
EXAMPLE 1 Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating about the y-axis the region
bounded by y
2x 2  x 3 and y
0.

SOLUTION From the sketch in Figure 6 we see that a typical shell has radius x, circumference 2
x, and height f
x
2x 2  x 3. So, by the shell method, the volume is
2-

x
x

2 x

2

FIGURE 6

V
y
2
x
2x 2  x 3  dx
2
y
2x 3  x 4  dx

0

1
2

x 4  15 x 5

2
0

2
(8  325 )
165

It can be verified that the shell method gives the same answer as slicing.
y

Figure 7 shows a computer-generated

picture of the solid whose volume we computed
in Example 1.

FIGURE 7

VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS 3

NOTE

Comparing the solution of Example 1 with the remarks at the beginning of this
section, we see that the method of cylindrical shells is much easier than the washer method
for this problem. We did not have to find the coordinates of the local maximum and we did
not have to solve the equation of the curve for x in terms of y. However, in other examples
the methods of the preceding section may be easier.
y

EXAMPLE 2 Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating about the y-axis the region
between y
x and y
x 2.

y=x
y=
shell
height=x-
0

SOLUTION The region and a typical shell are shown in Figure 8. We see that the shell has
radius x, circumference 2
x, and height x  x 2. So the volume is
1

V
y 2
xx  x 2  dx
2
y x 2  x 3  dx

x3
x4

2


3
4

FIGURE 8

6

As the following example shows, the shell method works just as well if we rotate about
the x-axis. We simply have to draw a diagram to identify the radius and height of a shell.
EXAMPLE 3 Use cylindrical shells to find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating
about the x-axis the region under the curve y
sx from 0 to 1.
y

SOLUTION This problem was solved using disks in Example 2 in Section 6.2. To use shells
we relabel the curve y
sx (in the figure in that example) as x
y 2 in Figure 9. For
rotation about the x-axis we see that a typical shell has radius y, circumference 2
y, and
height 1  y 2. So the volume is

shell height=1-

1
y

x=

x=1

shell
radius=y

V
y 2
y1  y 2  dy
2
y y  y 3  dy

2

y2
y4

2
4

2

In this problem the disk method was simpler.

FIGURE 9

EXAMPLE 4 Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by

y
x  x 2 and y
0 about the line x
2.

SOLUTION Figure 10 shows the region and a cylindrical shell formed by rotation about the
line x
2. It has radius 2  x, circumference 2
2  x, and height x  x 2.
y

x=2

y=x-

FIGURE 10

2-x

The volume of the given solid is

1

V
y 2
2  xx  x 2  dx
2
y x 3  3x 2  2x dx
0

2

x4
 x3  x2
4

2

4 VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

Exercises
A Click here for answers.

1520
Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume
generated by rotating the region bounded by the given curves about
the specified axis. Sketch the region and a typical shell.

Click here for solutions.

15. y
x 2, y
0, x
1, x
2;

1. Let S be the solid obtained by rotating the region shown in

the figure about the y-axis. Explain why it is awkward to use

slicing to find the volume V of S. Sketch a typical approximating shell. What are its circumference and height? Use shells
to find V .
y

16. y
x , y
0, x
2, x
1;

about x
4

18. y
4x  x , y
8x  2x ;

about x
2

20. y
x , x
y ;
2

about y
3

about y
1

2. Let S be the solid obtained by rotating the region shown in the

figure about the y-axis. Sketch a typical cylindrical shell and

find its circumference and height. Use shells to find the volume
of S. Do you think this method is preferable to slicing? Explain.

21. y
ln x, y
0, x
2;
22. y
x, y
4x  x ;
2

24. y
1 1  x , y
0, x
0, x
2;
y=sin{ }

25. x
ssin y, 0  y 
, x
0;
26. x  y
7, x
4;

about x
2

Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume generated by rotating the region bounded by the given curves about the
y-axis. Sketch the region and a typical shell.
4. y
x 2,

x
1,

y
0,

x 2

5. y
e

x
0,

6. y
3  2x  x 2,
7. y
4x  2 ,

x
1

about y
5

form a solid, use the Midpoint Rule with n
5 to estimate the

volume of the solid.

x
2

y
5

xy
3

about y
4

28. If the region shown in the figure is rotated about the y-axis to

y
x 2  4x  7

obtained by rotating about the y-axis the region under the curve
y
tan x, 0  x 
4 .

x
1

y
0,

27. Use the Midpoint Rule with n
4 to estimate the volume

37

y
0,

about x
1

3. y
1 x,

about x
7

23. y
x , y
sin
x 2;

about the y-axis

2126
Set up, but do not evaluate, an integral for the volume
of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by the given
curves about the specified axis.

about the y-axis

17. y
x , y
0, x
1, x
2;
2

19. y
sx  1, y
0, x
5;
y=x(x-1)@

about x
1

8. Let V be the volume of the solid obtained by rotating about the

y-axis the region bounded by y
sx and y
x 2. Find V both

by slicing and by cylindrical shells. In both cases draw a diagram to explain your method.

914

Use the method of cylindrical shells to find the volume of

the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by the given
curves about the x-axis. Sketch the region and a typical shell.
9. x
1  y 2,

10. x
sy,
11. y
x ,

x
0,

x
0,

12. x
4y 2  y 3,
13. y
4x ,
2

29.

y
2

x
0

9 10 11 12 x

2
x 5 dx
2

x
4   y  12

Each integral represents the volume of a solid. Describe

30. 2
y

x
0

2x  y
6

14. x  y
3,

the solid.

y
1

y
8,

y
1,

2932

31.

32.

2
3  y1  y 2  dy

4

y
dy
1  y2

2

 xcos x  sin x dx

VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS 5

45. A right circular cone with height h and base radius r

; 3334

Use a graph to estimate the x-coordinates of the points of

intersection of the given curves. Then use this information to estimate the volume of the solid obtained by rotating about the y-axis
the region enclosed by these curves.

33. y
0,

y
x
x x
2

34. y
x 4,

CAS

3536

Use a computer algebra system to find the exact volume

of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by the given
curves about the specified line.

35. y
sin2 x, y
sin4 x, 0  x   ;

about x
 2

36. y
x sin x, y
0, 0  x   ;

39. y
5, y
x

4x;

41. x 2

y  12
1;

about the y-axis

42. x

y  1
1;

about the x-axis

47. We arrived at Formula 2, V

about x
1

about x
2

about the y-axis

40. x
1  y 4, x
0;

about the x-axis

38. y
x  3x
2, y
0;
2

diameters through two wooden balls (which also have different

diameters). You discover that both napkin rings have the same
height h, as shown in the figure.
(a) Guess which ring has more wood in it.
(b) Check your guess: Use cylindrical shells to compute the
volume of a napkin ring created by drilling a hole with
radius r through the center of a sphere of radius R and
express the answer in terms of h.

3742
The region bounded by the given curves is rotated about
the specified axis. Find the volume of the resulting solid by any
method.

37. y
x 2
x  2, y
0;

about x
1

46. Suppose you make napkin rings by drilling holes with different

y
3x  x 3

xab 2 x f
x dx, by using

cylindrical shells, but now we can use integration by parts to

prove it using the slicing method of Section 6.2, at least for the
case where f is one-to-one and therefore has an inverse function t. Use the figure to show that
d

V
 b 2d   a 2c  y   t
y 2 dy
c

4345

Use cylindrical shells to find the volume of the solid.

43. A sphere of radius r

44. The solid torus (a donut-shaped solid with radii R and r)

shown in the figure

Make the substitution y
f
x and then use integration by

parts on the resulting integral to prove that V
xab 2 x f
x dx.
y

x=g(y)

y=

R
r

x=b

x=a
0

6 VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

Answers
9. 21
2
S

Click here for solutions.

1+

1. Circumference
2
x, height
x x  12;
15

y

x(x-1)@
0

y
x

y
0
x

3. 2

11. 768
7
13. 250
3
15. 17
6
17. 67
6
21. x12 2
x ln x dx

1
x

23.
x

19. 24

x01 2
x  1sin
x 2  x 4  dx
x0
2
4  y ssin y dy
27. 1.142

25.
29. Solid obtained by rotating the region 0  y  x 4, 0  x  3

about the y-axis

31. Solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by

5.
1  1 e

7. 16

(i) x
1  y 2, x
0, and y
0, or (ii) x
y 2, x
1, and y
0

about the line y
3
1
33. 0, 1.32; 4.05
35. 32
3
37. 81
10
4
1
39. 8
3  ln 4
41. 4
3
43. 3
r 3
45. 3
r 2h

VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS 7

Solutions: Volumes by Cylindrical Shells

1.

If we were to use the washer method, we would first have

to locate the local maximum point (a, b) of y = x(x 1)2
using the methods of Chapter 4. Then we would have to
solve the equation y = x(x 1)2 for x in terms of y to

obtain the functions x = g1 (y) and x = g2 (y) shown in the

first figure. This step would be difficult because it involves
the cubic formula. Finally we would find the volume using

Rb
V = 0 [g1 (y)]2 [g2 (y)]2 dy.

Using shells, we find that a typical approximating shell has radius x, so its circumference is 2x. Its height is y, that
is, x(x 1)2 . So the total volume is
V =

3. V =

R1
0

2
1

2x

5
1

R1

x
x4
x3

2
+
2x x(x 1)2 dx = 2 0 x4 2x3 + x2 dx = 2
=
5
4
3 0
15

1
dx = 2
x

1 dx
1

= 2 [x]21 = 2(2 1) = 2

5. V =

R1
0

2xex dx. Let u = x2 .

Thus, du = 2x dx, so
R1
1

V = 0 eu du = eu 0
= (1 1/e)

8 VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

7. The curves intersect when 4(x 2)2 = x2 4x + 7 4x2 16x + 16 = x2 4x + 7

3x2 12x + 9 = 0
V = 2
= 2

3(x2 4x + 3) = 0 3(x 1)(x 3) = 0, so x = 1 or 3.

R3

R 3 2
x x 4x + 7 4(x 2)2 dx = 2 1 x(x2 4x + 7 4x2 + 16x 16) dx
1

R3
1

= 6

R3

x(3x2 + 12x 9) dx = 2(3) 1 (x3 4x2 + 3x) dx = 6 14 x4 43 x3 + 32 x2 1

81
4

36 +

27
2

1
4

4
3

3
2

= 6 20 36 + 12 + 43 = 6 83 = 16

R2

2y 1 + y 2 dy = 2 1 y + y 3 dy = 2 12 y 2 + 14 y4 1

= 21
= 2 (2 + 4) 12 + 14 = 2 21
4
2

9. V =

R2
1

11. V = 2

= 2
=

8
0
8
0

[y( 3 y 0)] dy
y4/3 dy = 2

3 7/3
y
7

i8
0

6 7/3
6 7
768
(8 ) =
(2 ) =
7
7
7

VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS 9

13. The curves intersect when 4x2 = 6 2x 2x2 + x 3 = 0 (2x + 3)(x 1) = 0 x = 32 or 1.

Solving the equations for x gives us y = 4x2 x = 12 y and 2x + y = 6 x = 12 y + 3.

Z 9
Z 4
1 1
1

y 2 y 2 y
y 2 y + 3 12 y
dy + 2
dy
V = 2
= 2

(y y ) dy + 2

12 y2

+ 3y +

1 3/2
y
2

dy = 2

32

3 + 24 +
32 + 2 243
+ 243
+ 243
5
2
2
5

= 1250
+ 2 433
= 250

= 128
5
15
15
3

= 2

15. V =

R2
1

2(x 1)x2 dx = 2

= 2 4

17. V =

R2
1

= 2

19. V =

8
3

1
4

1
3

2(4 x)x2 dx = 2

32
3

1
4

x4 13 x3

17

3x

4 43 14 =

R2

14 x4

67
6

2(3 y)(5 x)dy

= 0 2(3 y) 5 y 2 1 dy
R2

= 0 2 12 4y 3y 2 + y 3 dy

2
= 2 12y 2y 2 y 3 + 14 y4 0
0

R2

= 2(24 8 8 + 4) = 24

2
1

2
1

32
5

2 5/2
y
5

i4
0

h
i9
+ 2 16 y3 + 32 y2 + 15 y 5/2
4

10 VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS

21. V =

25. V =

R2
1

R
0

27. x =
V =
29.

R3
0

23. V =

2x ln x dx

2(4 y)

R1
0

2[x (1)] sin 2 x x4 dx

sin y dy

/4 0

=
.
4
16

R /4
0

2x tan x dx 2

2x5 dx = 2

R3
0

16

32

tan 32
+

3
32

tan 3
+
32

5
32

tan 5
+
32

7
32

1.142
tan 7
32

x(x4 ) dx. The solid is obtained by rotating the region 0 y x4 , 0 x 3 about the

y-axis using cylindrical shells.

31.

R1
0

2(3 y)(1 y 2 ) dy. The solid is obtained by rotating the region bounded by (i) x = 1 y2 , x = 0, and

y = 0 or (ii) x = y2 , x = 1, and y = 0 about the line y = 3 using cylindrical shells.

33.

From the graph, the curves intersect at x = 0 and at x = a 1.32, with

x + x2 x4 > 0 on the interval (0, a). So the volume of the solid

obtained by rotating the region about the y-axis is

V = 2
= 2

35. V = 2

/2
0

CAS 1 3
= 32

x sin2 x sin4 x dx

a
0

1
3

x(x + x2 x4 ) dx = 2

x3 + 14 x4 16 x6

a
0

4.05

a
0

(x2 + x3 x5 ) dx

VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS 11

37. Use disks:

V =

R1

1
5

2
R1

x2 + x 2 dx = 2 x4 + 2x3 3x2 4x + 4 dx

x5 + 12 x4 x3 2x2 + 4x

33
5

3
2

81
10

1
5

1
2

1 2 + 4 32
+8+888
5

39. Use shells:

R4
V = 1 2[x (1)][5 (x + 4/x)] dx
= 2

= 2

R4
1

(x + 1)(5 x 4/x) dx

R4
1

R4

5x x2 4 + 5 x 4/x dx

4
x2 + 4x + 1 4/x dx = 2 13 x3 + 2x2 + x 4 ln x 1

= 2 64
+ 32 + 4 4 ln 4 13 + 2 + 1 0
3
= 2

= 2(12 4 ln 4) = 8(3 ln 4)
41. Use disks: V =

2
0

1 (y 1)2

dy =

2
0

2
8
4
2y y2 dy = y 2 13 y 3 0 = 4
=
3
3

h
1/2

Rr
43. V = 2 0 2x r 2 x2 dx = 2 0 r 2 x2
(2x) dx = 2

= 43 0 r 3 = 43 r 3
Rr

45. V = 2

2
3

r 2 x2

3/2 ir

r
Z r
x2
h
r2
x3
x2
r 2 h

x x + h dx = 2h
= 2h
+ x dx = 2h
+
=
r
r
3r
2
6
3
0
0

47. Using the formula for volumes of rotation and the figure, we see that
Rd
Rc
Rd
Rd
Volume = 0 b2 dy 0 a2 dy c [g(y)]2 dy = b2 d a2 c c [g(y)]2 dy. Let y = f (x), which
Rb
gives dy = f 0 (x) dx and g(y) = x, so that V = b2 d a2 c a x2 f 0 (x) dx. Now integrate

by parts with u = x2 , and dv = f 0 (x) dx du = 2x dx, v = f (x), and

b R b
Rb
Rb 2 0
x f (x) dx = x2 f (x) a a 2x f (x) dx = b2 f (b) a2 f (a) a 2x f (x) dx, but f (a) = c and f (b) = d
a
h
i R
Rb
b
V = b2 d a2 c b2 d a2 c a 2xf (x) dx = a 2xf (x) dx.