12.

4: Surface area
Section Learning outcomes
12.4: Surface area - Find surface area of the graph of a function of 2 variables
- Find surface area of a surface defined parametrically

12.4: Surface area

1) Surface area of 𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦)
Recall: The length of the graph 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) between the points where 𝑥 = 𝑎 and 𝑥 = 𝑏 is

We can obtain an analogous formula for the surface area of the graph of a function of two variables
𝑧 = 𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦).

Example: Find the surface area of the portion of the plane x + 2y + 3z = 6 that lies in the first
octant (where 𝑥 ≥ 0, 𝑦 ≥ 0, 𝑧 ≥ 0).
Solution
We rewrite the equation of the plane as z=(6-x-2y)/3=f(x,y). Then
fx ( x, y)  1/ 3, fy ( x, y)  2 / 3 , and the surface area required is calculated by

2 2 2 2 14
S   1   fx ( x, y)   fy ( x, y) dA   1  1/ 3  2 / 3 dA   dA
R R
3 R

14
 area of R.
3
Where R is the projection of the graph in the xy-plane. R is a triangle bounded by the lines
1
x=0, y=0, and x+2y=6 (let z=0 in the equation x+2y+3z=6), so its area is (3)(6) = 9.
2

14
Therefore, S9  3 14 .
3

Example:
Find the surface area (to the nearest hundredth square unit) of that part of the sphere
x 2  y2  z2  5 that lies above the plane z  1 .

Solution
Let F( x, y, z)  x 2  y2  z2  5  0 then
Fx 2x x F 2y y
zx ( x, y)       , zy ( x, y)   y     ,
Fz 2z z Fz 2z z
and the surface area required is calculated by

2 2
2 2 x y x 2  y 2  z2
S   1   zx ( x, y)   zy ( x, y) dA   1       dA   dA
R R
z
   z R z 2

5
  dA
R 5 x  y
2 2

Where R is the projection of the graph in the xy-plane. R is a disk bounded by the circle 𝑥 2 +
𝑦 2 = 4 (intersection of x 2  y2  z2  5 and z=1).

We use the polar coordinates to evaluate S. First of all, we convert the function of
integration and dA.

5
S   rdrd
R 5r 2

Then we describe R using polar coordinates: 0    2 , 0  r  2 . So,

2 2 5 
S   rdr  d
 0 5  r
2
0 
Let u  5  r2 then du  2rdr . The integral becomes
 2  5  2 2
S 
0
 du d    5 u d   5  5  r 2 20d
 2 u  0 0

   
2
 5 5 1 d  2 5 5  1  17.37
0

DIY:

2) Surface area of a surface defined parametrically (self-study)