Volume of Frustum

Yue Kwok Choy

A frustum is a truncated cone or pyramid; the part that is left when a cone or pyramid is cut by
a plane parallel to the base with the apical part removed. We concentrate on the right frustum and not
slant frustum as in the right-most diagram on the top.

We begin with :
1
Volume of prism = Bh , where B is the base area and h is the height of prism.
3
Since the apical part is removed, we have:
1
Volume of frustum, V = (B2 h 2 − B1h1 ) …. (1)
3
The height of the frustum = h = h 2 − h1 …. (2)
2
B2 h 2
We also have : = …. (3)
B1 h12

Our aim is to remove the variables h1, h2 using (1) – (3) .

From (2), h 2 = h + h1 …. (4)

1
(4) ↓ (1) , V = [B2 (h + h1 ) − B1h1 ] = 1 [B2 h + (B2 h1 − B1h1 )]
3 3
1
= [B2 h + (B2 − B1 )h1 ] …. (5)
3
2
2 h1 B 2 B2
From (3), h2 = ⇒ h 2 = h1 …. (6)
B1 B1

B2 B 2 − B1 B1
(6) ↓ (2) , h = h1 − h1 = h1 ⇒ h1 = h …. (7)
B1 B1 B 2 − B1

1
 1 B1 
(7) ↓ (5) , V= B 2 h + (B 2 − B1 ) h
3  B 2 − B1 

1 
= B2 h +
3 
( B 2 + B1 )( B 2 − B1 ) B1
h
B 2 − B1 

=
1
3
[
B 2 h + B1 ( B2 + B1 h )]
=
h
3
[
B1 + B1B 2 + B 2 ] …. (8)

From (8), we can derive the followings:

(a) Volume of circular cone frustum,

V=
πh 2
3
[
r1 + r1r2 + r2
2
]
, where r1 , r2 are the radii of the top and bottom circular bases.
(b) Volume of square frustum,

V=
h 2
3
[
a 1 + a 1a 2 + a 2
2
]
, where a1 , a 2 are the sides of the top and bottom square bases.
(c) Since the area of equilateral triangle is given by
3 2
A= a , where a is the side of the triangle, we have:
4
Volume of equilateral triangular frustum,

V=
h 2
16
[
a1 + a1a 2 + a 2
2
]
, where a1 , a 2 are the sides of the top and bottom triangular bases.