VOLUMES OF REVOLUTION

Reference: Croft & Davison Chapter 14

p.756-762
http://www.mat.utep.edu/sosmath

Introduction

We will study the concept of integration as the limit of a

sum can be used to find volumes of solid formed when

curves are rotated around the x or y axes.

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 Volumes generated by rotating curves about the x axis

Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Imagine rotating the line y=2x in Fig. 1 a full revolution
around the x axis. The three dimensional shape in Fig. 2
is known as a volume of revolution.

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 In order to find the volume of revolution we assume that
it is composed of lots of thin circular discs. A typical
disc has radius y and thickness x .

In general, if the graph of y(x) , a  x  b is rotated about

the x axis the volume of the solid formed is

b
2
V    y dx
a

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 2
Example 1 A graph of the function y  x for x
between 0 and 4 is rotated around the x axis. Find the
volume of revolution.
Solution:

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 Volumes generated by rotating curves about the y axis

Fig. 3
A different solid of revolution by rotating a curve around
the y axis instead of around the x axis.
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 In order to find the volume of revolution we assume that
it is composed of lots of thin circular discs. A typical
disc has radius x and thickness  y .

In general, if the graph of y(x) , c  y  d is rotated about

the y axis the volume of the solid formed is

d
2
V    x dy
c

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 Example 2 Find the volume generated when the
2
graph of y  x between x=0 and x=1 is rotated around
the y axis.
Solution: Volume  01 x 2 dy
=  01 ydy
1

= y2
2 0

=
2

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 Reference URL:
http://archives.math.utk.edu/visual.calculus/5/volumes.5

Exercise p.761
2, 3
End of block exercise p.761
2, 3, 6.
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