AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION

A surface of revolution is formed when a curve is rotated about a line. Such a surface is
the lateral boundary of a solid of revolution of the type discussed in Sections 7.2 and 7.3.
We want to define the area of a surface of revolution in such a way that it corresponds
to our intuition. If the surface area is A, we can imagine that painting the surface would
require the same amount of paint as does a flat region with area A.
Lets start with some simple surfaces. The lateral surface area of a circular cylinder with
radius r and height h is taken to be A
2 rh because we can imagine cutting the cylin-
cut h der and unrolling it (as in Figure 1) to obtain a rectangle with dimensions 2 r and h.
r Likewise, we can take a circular cone with base radius r and slant height l , cut it along
the dashed line in Figure 2, and flatten it to form a sector of a circle with radius l and cen-
tral angle 
2 rl. We know that, in general, the area of a sector of a circle with radius
l and angle  is 12 l 2 (see Exercise 67 in Section 6.2) and so in this case it is

 
h
2r
A
12 l 2
12 l 2
 rl
2r l
FIGURE 1 Therefore, we define the lateral surface area of a cone to be A
 rl.

2r

cut
l

r l

FIGURE 2

What about more complicated surfaces of revolution? If we follow the strategy we used
with arc length, we can approximate the original curve by a polygon. When this polygon
is rotated about an axis, it creates a simpler surface whose surface area approximates the
actual surface area. By taking a limit, we can determine the exact surface area.
The approximating surface, then, consists of a number of bands, each formed by rotat-
ing a line segment about an axis. To find the surface area, each of these bands can be
considered a portion of a circular cone, as shown in Figure 3. The area of the band (or frus-
l
tum of a cone) with slant height l and upper and lower radii r1 and r2 is found by sub-
tracting the areas of two cones:
r 1 A
 r2
l1
l    r1l1
 
r2  r1l1
r2 l

l From similar triangles we have

l1 l1
l
r

r1 r2
which gives
FIGURE 3 r2 l1
r1l1
r1l or
r2  r1l1
r1l

Putting this in Equation 1, we get

A

r1l
r2 l
or
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2 A
2 rl

where r
12
r1
r2  is the average radius of the band.

1
 2 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION

y y= Now we apply this formula to our strategy. Consider the surface shown in Figure 4,
which is obtained by rotating the curve y
f
x, a  x  b, about the x-axis, where f is
positive and has a continuous derivative. In order to define its surface area, we divide the
interval a, b into n subintervals with endpoints x0, x1, . . . , xn and equal width x, as we
0 a b x
did in determining arc length. If yi
f
x i , then the point Pi
x i, yi  lies on the curve. The
part of the surface between x i1 and x i is approximated by taking the line segment Pi1Pi
and rotating it about the x-axis. The result is a band with slant height l
Pi1Pi and aver-

age radius r
2
yi1
yi  so, by Formula 2, its surface area is

1
(a) Surface of revolution

Pi yi1
yi
y
P
Pi-1 yi
Pn
2
2

Pi1Pi

As in the proof of Theorem 7.4.2, we have

0 a b x

P i1

Pi
s1
 f 
xi* 2 x

(b) Approximating band where xi* is some number in x i1, x i . When x is small, we have yi
f
x i   f
xi* and
also yi1
f
x i1   f
xi*, since f is continuous. Therefore
FIGURE 4
yi1
yi
2
2

Pi1Pi  2 f
xi* s1
 f 
xi* 2 x

and so an approximation to what we think of as the area of the complete surface of revo-
lution is
n
3 2 f
x* s1
 f 
x*
i
1
i i
2 x

This approximation appears to become better as n l  and, recognizing (3) as a Riemann

sum for the function t
x
2 f
x s1
 f 
x 2, we have
n

2 f
x* s1
 f 
x*
b
lim i i
2 x
y 2 f
x s1
 f 
x 2 dx
n l  i
1 a

Therefore, in the case where f is positive and has a continuous derivative, we define the
surface area of the surface obtained by rotating the curve y
f
x, a  x  b, about
the x-axis as

b
4 S
y 2 f
x s1
 f 
x 2 dx
a

With the Leibniz notation for derivatives, this formula becomes

5 S
y 2 y
a
b
  
1

dy
dx
2
dx

If the curve is described as x
t
y, c  y  d, then the formula for surface area
becomes

d
   dx 2
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6 S
y 2 y 1
dy
c dy

and both Formulas 5 and 6 can be summarized symbolically, using the notation for arc
 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION 3

length given in Section 7.4, as

7 S
y 2 y ds

For rotation about the y-axis, the surface area formula becomes

8 S
y 2 x ds

where, as before, we can use either

ds
  
1

dy
dx
2
dx or ds
  
1

dx
dy
2
dy

These formulas can be remembered by thinking of 2 y or 2 x as the circumference of a

circle traced out by the point
x, y on the curve as it is rotated about the x-axis or y-axis,
respectively (see Figure 5).

y y

(x,y)
y
x
(x,y)
0 x

circumference=2y circumference=2x
0 x

FIGURE 5 (a) Rotation about x-axis: S=j2yds (b) Rotation about y-axis: S=j2xds

EXAMPLE 1 The curve y
s4  x 2, 1  x  1, is an arc of the circle x 2
y 2
4.

Find the area of the surface obtained by rotating this arc about the x-axis. (The surface is
a portion of a sphere of radius 2. See Figure 6.)

y SOLUTION We have

dy x

12
4  x 2 12
2x

dx s4  x 2

and so, by Formula 5, the surface area is

1 x S
y
1
1
2 y    1

dy
dx
2
dx

1

2 y s4  x 2
1
 1

x2
4  x2
dx
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1 2

2 y s4  x 2 dx
FIGURE 6
1 s4  x 2

1
Figure 6 shows the portion of the sphere
4 y 1 dx
4
2
8
whose surface area is computed in Example 1. 1
 4 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION

Figure 7 shows the surface of revolution EXAMPLE 2 The arc of the parabola y
x 2 from
1, 1 to
2, 4 is rotated about the
whose area is computed in Example 2. y-axis. Find the area of the resulting surface.
y
SOLUTION 1 Using

(2,4) dy
y
x2 and
2x
dx
y=
we have, from Formula 8,

0 1 2 x S
y 2 x ds
FIGURE 7

y
2

1
2 x    1

dy
dx
2
dx

2

2 y x s1
4x 2 dx
1

Substituting u
1
4x 2, we have du
8x dx. Remembering to change the limits of

integration, we have

 17 
S
y su du
[ 23 u 32 ]175
4 5 4


As a check on our answer to Example 2,
(17s17  5s5 )
notice from Figure 7 that the surface area 6
should be close to that of a circular cylinder with
the same height and radius halfway between SOLUTION 2 Using
the upper and lower radius of the surface:
2
1.5
3  28.27. We computed that dx 1
the surface area was x
sy and

dy 2sy

(17 s17  5 s5 )  30.85
6 we have
which seems reasonable. Alternatively, the sur-

  
face area should be slightly larger than the area
2
of a frustum of a cone with the same top and bot- 4 dx
tom edges. From Equation 2, this is S
y 2 x ds
y 2 x 1
dy
1 dy
2
1.5(s10 )  29.80.

2 y sy
4

1
 1

1
4y
4
dy
 y s4y
1 dy
1

 17

y su du (where u
1
4y )
4 5



(17s17  5s5 ) (as in Solution 1)
6

Another method: Use Formula 6 with
x
ln y.
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EXAMPLE 3 Find the area of the surface generated by rotating the curve y
e x,
0  x  1, about the x-axis.
SOLUTION Using Formula 5 with

dy
y
ex and
ex
dx
 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION 5

we have

S
y 2 y
0
1
  
1

dy
dx
2
1
dx
2 y e x s1
e 2x dx
0

e

2 y s1
u 2 du (where u
e x )
1

2 y sec 3 d (where u
tan  and
tan1e )
4

Or use Formula 21 in the Table of Integrals. [

2
12 sec  tan 
ln sec 
tan 

]
4 (by Example 8 in Section 6.2)

[

 sec tan
ln
sec
tan   s2  ln(s2
1) ]
Since tan
e, we have sec 2
1
tan 2
1
e 2 and

S
 [es1
e 2
ln(e
s1
e 2 )  s2  ln(s2
1)]

EXERCISES

1720 Use Simpsons Rule with n
10 to approximate the area

A Click here for answers. S Click here for solutions. of the surface obtained by rotating the curve about the x-axis. Com-
pare your answer with the value of the integral produced by your
14 Set up, but do not evaluate, an integral for the area of the calculator.
surface obtained by rotating the curve about the given axis.
17. y
ln x, 1x3
1. y
ln x, 1  x  3; x-axis
18. y
x
sx, 1x2
2. y
sin 2x, 0  x  2; x-axis
19. y
sec x, 0  x  3
3. y
sec x, 0  x  4; y-axis
20. y
s1
e x, 0x1
4. y
e x, 1  y  2; y-axis

512 Find the area of the surface obtained by rotating the curve CAS 2122 Use either a CAS or a table of integrals to find the exact
about the x-axis. area of the surface obtained by rotating the given curve about the
x-axis.
5. y
x 3, 0x2
21. y
1x, 1x2
6. 9x
y 2
18, 2x6
22. y
sx
1, 2 0x3
7. y
sx, 4x9

8. y
cos 2x, 0  x  6

CAS 2324 Use a CAS to find the exact area of the surface obtained
9. y
cosh x, 0x1 by rotating the curve about the y-axis. If your CAS has trouble
evaluating the integral, express the surface area as an integral in the
x3 1
10. y

x1
1
, 2 other variable.
6 2x
23. y
x 3, 0y1
11. x
3
y 2
232, 1y2
1

24. y
ln
x
1, 0x1

12. x
1
2y 2, 1y2

25. (a) If a
0, find the area of the surface generated by rotating
1316 The given curve is rotated about the y-axis. Find the area the loop of the curve 3ay 2
x
a  x2 about the x-axis.
of the resulting surface. (b) Find the surface area if the loop is rotated about the
13. y
s
3
x, 1y2 y-axis.

14. y
1  x 2, 0x1 26. A group of engineers is building a parabolic satellite dish

whose shape will be formed by rotating the curve y
ax 2
15. x
sa 2  y 2, 0  y  a2
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about the y-axis. If the dish is to have a 10-ft diameter and a

16. x
a cosh
ya, a  y  a maximum depth of 2 ft, find the value of a and the surface area
of the dish.
 6 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION

27. The ellipse 32. Show that the surface area of a zone of a sphere that lies
x 2
y 2 between two parallel planes is S
 dh, where d is the diam-

2
1 a
b eter of the sphere and h is the distance between the planes.
a2 b
(Notice that S depends only on the distance between the planes
is rotated about the x-axis to form a surface called an ellipsoid. and not on their location, provided that both planes intersect
Find the surface area of this ellipsoid. the sphere.)
28. Find the surface area of the torus in Exercise 41 in Section 7.2. 33. Formula 4 is valid only when f
x  0. Show that when f
x
is not necessarily positive, the formula for surface area becomes
29. If the curve y
f
x, a  x  b, is rotated about the horizon-
tal line y
c, where f
x  c, find a formula for the area of

b
the resulting surface. S
y 2 f
x s1
 f 
x 2 dx
a

CAS 30. Use the result of Exercise 29 to set up an integral to find the
34. Let L be the length of the curve y
f
x, a  x  b, where
area of the surface generated by rotating the curve y
sx,
f is positive and has a continuous derivative. Let S f be the sur-
0  x  4, about the line y
4. Then use a CAS to evaluate
face area generated by rotating the curve about the x-axis. If c
the integral.
is a positive constant, define t
x
f
x
c and let St be the
31. Find the area of the surface obtained by rotating the circle corresponding surface area generated by the curve y
t
x,
x 2
y 2
r 2 about the line y
r. a  x  b. Express St in terms of S f and L.
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 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION 7

ANSWERS

13.  (145 s145  10 s10 )27 15.  a 2

S Click here for solutions.
17. 9.023754 19. 13.527296
3
1. y 2 ln x s1

1x dx 2
21.
4[4 ln(s17
4)  4 ln(s2
1)  s17
4 s2 ]
1

4 23.
6[ln(s10
3)
3 s10 ]

3. y 2 x s1

sec x tan x2 dx
0
25. (a)  a 23 (b) 56 s3 a 245
5.  (145 s145  1)27 7.  (37 s37  17 s17 )6 27. 2 [b 2
a 2b sin1(sa 2  b 2a)sa 2  b 2 ]
9.  [1
4
e 2  e2 ] 11. 212
1
29. xab 2 c  f
x s1
 f 
x 2 dx 31. 4 2r 2
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 8 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION

SOLUTIONS

3
1. y = ln x ds = 1 + (dy/dx)2 dx = 1 + (1/x)2 dx S = 1
2(ln x) 1 + (1/x)2 dx [by (7)]

3. y = sec x ds = 1 + (dy/dx)2 dx = 1 + (sec x tan x)2 dx

/4
S= 0
2x 1 + (sec x tan x)2 dx [by (8)]

5. y = x3 y 0 = 3x2 . So

2 2
S= 0
2y 1 + (y 0 )2 dx = 2 0
x3 1 + 9x4 dx [u = 1 + 9x4 , du = 36x3 dx]

2 145 2 3/2
145


= 36 1
u du = 18 3
u = 27
145 145 1
1

2
7. y = x 1 + (dy/dx)2 = 1 + [1/(2 x )] = 1 + 1/(4x). So

9 2 9 9
dy 1 1
S= 2y 1+ dx = 2 x 1+ dx = 2 x+ 4 dx
4 dx 4 4x 4

1 3/2
9 9
= 2 2
3
x+ 4
= 4
3
1
8
(4x + 1)3/2 =
6
37 37 17 17
4 4

9. y = cosh x 1 + (dy/dx)2 = 1 + sinh2 x = cosh2 x. So

1 1 1 1 1
S = 2 0
cosh x cosh x dx = 2 0 2
(1 + cosh 2x) dx = x + 2
sinh 2x 0

= 1+ 1
2
sinh 2 or 1 + 1
4
e2 e2

3/2 1/2
11. x = 1
3
y2 + 2 dx/dy = 1
2
y2 + 2 (2y) = y y2 + 2
2
1 + (dx/dy)2 = 1 + y 2 y 2 + 2 = y 2 + 1 . So

2 2
S = 2 1
y y 2 + 1 dy = 2 1 4
4y + 12 y 2 1
= 2 4 + 2 1
4 1
2
= 21
2

13. y = 3
x x = y3 1 + (dx/dy)2 = 1 + 9y 4 . So

2 2 2
S = 2 1
x 1 + (dx/dy)2 dy = 2 1
y3 1 + 9y 4 dy = 2
36 1
1 + 9y 4 36y 3 dy
3/2 2
=
18
2
3
1 + 9y 4 =
27
145 145 10 10
1

15. x = a2 y 2 dx/dy = 12 (a2 y 2 )1/2 (2y) = y/ a2 y 2

y2 a2 y 2 y2 a2
1 + (dx/dy)2 = 1 + = 2 + 2 = 2
a2 y 2 a y 2 a y 2 a y2
a/2 a/2
a a/2 a
S= 2 a2 y 2 dy = 2 a dy = 2a y 0
= 2a 0 = a2 . Note that this is
0 a2 y2 0 2
1
the surface area of a sphere of radius a, and the length of the interval y = 0 to y = a/2 is 1
the length of the
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4 4

interval y = a to y = a.
 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION 9

3
17. y = ln x dy/dx = 1/x 1 + (dy/dx)2 = 1 + 1/x2 S= 1
2 ln x 1 + 1/x2 dx.

Let f(x) = ln x 1 + 1/x2 . Since n = 10, x = 31

10
= 1
5
. Then
1/5
S S10 = 2 3
[f (1) + 4f (1.2) + 2f (1.4) + + 2f (2.6) + 4f (2.8) + f(3)] 9.023754.

The value of the integral produced by a calculator is 9.024262 (to six decimal places).

19. y = sec x dy/dx = sec x tan x 1 + (dy/dx)2 = 1 + sec2 x tan2 x

/3
S= 0
2 sec x 1 + sec2 x tan2 x dx. Let f (x) = sec x 1 + sec2 x tan2 x.

/3 0
Since n = 10, x = = . Then
10 30
/30 2 8 9
S S10 = 2 f (0) + 4f + 2f + + 2f + 4f +f 13.527296.
3 30 30 30 30 3

The value of the integral produced by a calculator is 13.516987 (to six decimal places).

21. y = 1/x ds = 1 + (dy/dx)2 dx = 1 + (1/x2 )2 dx = 1 + 1/x4 dx

2 2
4

1 1 x4 + 1 u2 + 1
S= 2 1+ dx = 2 dx = 2 1
2
du [u = x2 , du = 2x dx]
1 x x4 1 x3 1 u2

4
4
1 + u2 24 1 + u2
= 2
du = + ln u + 1 + u2
1 u u 1

17

2

17

4 + 17
= 4
+ ln 4 + 17 + 1
ln 1 + 2 = 2 4
+ ln 1+ 2

23. y = x3 and 0 y 1 y 0 = 3x2 and 0 x 1.

1 3
S= 0
2x 1 + (3x2 )2 dx = 2 0
1 + u2 16 du [u = 3x2 , du = 6x dx]

3 21 3
=
3 0
1 + u2 du = [or use CAS]
3
1
2u 1 + u2 + 1
2 ln u + 1 + u2 0

3
1


= 3 2
10 + 2
ln 3 + 10 = 6
3 10 + ln 3 + 10

25. Since a > 0, the curve 3ay 2 = x(a x)2 only has points with

x 0. (3ay 2 0 x(a x)2 0 x 0.) The

curve is symmetric about the x-axis (since the equation is

unchanged when y is replaced by y). y = 0 when x = 0 or a,

so the curves loop extends from x = 0 to x = a.

d d dy dy (a x)[2x + a x]
(3ay 2 ) = [x(a x)2 ] 6ay = x 2(a x)(1) + (a x)2 =
dx dx dx dx 6ay
2
dy (a x)2 (a 3x)2 (a x)2 (a 3x)2 3a the last fraction (a 3x)2
= = =
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dx 36a y2 2 36a2 x(a x)2 is 1/y 2 12ax

 10 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION

2
dy a2 6ax + 9x2 12ax a2 6ax + 9x2 a2 + 6ax + 9x2 (a + 3x)2
1+ =1+ = + = = for x 6= 0.
dx 12ax 12ax 12ax 12ax 12ax
a a a
x(a x) a + 3x (a x)(a + 3x)
(a) S = 2y ds = 2 dx = 2 dx
x=0 0 3a 12ax 0 6a
a
2 2 2 a 3 a2
= (a + 2ax 3x ) dx = a x + ax2 x3 0
= (a + a3 a3 ) = a3 = .
3a 0 3a 3a 3a 3

Note that we have rotated the top half of the loop about the x-axis. This generates the full surface.

(b) We must rotate the full loop about the y-axis, so we get double the area obtained by rotating the top half of
the loop:

a a a
a + 3x 4
S = 2 2 x ds = 4 x dx = x1/2 (a + 3x) dx
x=0 0 12ax 2 3a 0

a a
2 2 2 3/2 6 5/2 2 3 2 5/2 6 5/2
= (ax1/2 + 3x3/2 ) dx = ax + x = a + a
3a 0 3a 3 5 0 3 a 3 5

2 3 2 6 2 2 3 28 2 56 3 a2
= + a = a =
3 3 5 3 15 45

x2 y2 y (dy/dx) x dy b2 x
27. + =1 = 2 = 2
a2 b2 b2 a dx a y

2
dy b4 x2 b4 x2 + a4 y 2 b4 x2 + a4 b2 1 x2/a2 a4 b2 + b4 x2 a2 b2 x2
1+ =1+ = = =
dx a4 y 2 a4 y 2 a4 b2 (1 x2/a2 ) a4 b2 a2 b2 x2

a4 + b2 x2 a2 x2 a4 a2 b2 x2
= =
a4 a2 x2 a2 (a2 x2 )

The ellipsoids surface area is twice the area generated by rotating the first quadrant portion of the ellipse about the

x-axis. Thus,

a 2 a
dy b a4 (a2 b2 )x2
S =2 2y 1+ dx = 4 a2 x2 dx
0 dx 0 a a a2 x2

a a a2 b2
4b 4b du
= 2 a4 (a2 b2 )x2 dx = 2 a4 u2 [u = a2 b2 x]
a 0 a 0 a2 b2

a a2 b2
30 4b u a4 u
= a4 u2 + sin1 2
a a2 b2
2 2 2 a 0

2 1 a2 b2
4b a a2 b2 a 4
a2 b2 2 a b sin
= a4 a2 (a2 b2 ) + sin1 = 2 a
a2 a2 b2 2 2 a b + a2 b2

29. The analogue of f (xi ) in the derivation of (4) is now c f(xi ), so

Thomson Brooks-Cole copyright 2007

n b
S = lim 2[c f (xi )] 1 + [f 0 (xi )]2 x = 2[c f (x)] 1 + [f 0 (x)]2 dx.
n i=1 a
 AREA OF A SURFACE OF REVOLUTION 11

31. For the upper semicircle, f(x) = r2 x2 , f 0 (x) = x/ r2 x2 . The surface area generated is

r r
x2 r
S1 = 2 r r2 x2 1+ dx = 4 r r2 x2 dx
r r2 x2 0 r2 x2

r
r2
= 4 r dx
0 r 2 x2

r
x r2
For the lower semicircle, f (x) = r2 x2 and f 0 (x) = , so S2 = 4 + r dx.
r2 x2 0 r x2
2

r
r2 x r
Thus, the total area is S = S1 + S2 = 8 dx = 8 r2 sin1 = 8r2
2
= 4 2 r2 .
0 r x2
2 r 0

yi1 + yi
33. In the derivation of (4), we computed a typical contribution to the surface area to be 2 |Pi1 Pi |, the area
2
of a frustum of a cone. When f (x) is not necessarily positive, the approximations yi = f(xi ) f (xi ) and

yi1 = f (xi1 ) f (xi ) must be replaced by yi = |f (xi )| |f (xi )| and yi1 = |f (xi1 )| |f (xi )|. Thus,

yi1 + yi
2 |Pi1 Pi | 2 |f (xi )| 1 + [f 0 (xi )]2 x. Continuing with the rest of the derivation as before, we
2
b
obtain S = a
2 |f(x)| 1 + [f 0 (x)]2 dx.
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