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Jack Koshko

Mr. Acre

AP Calculus

27 February, 2017

Solids of Revolution

Calculus can be defined as the branch of mathematics that deals with the finding and

properties of derivatives and integrals of functions, by methods originally based on the

summation of infinitesimal differences. The two main types are differential calculus and integral

calculus ("Definition of Calculus"). The difference is that differential calculus cuts something

into small pieces to find how it changes, whereas integral calculus joins the small pieces

together to find how much there is of something (Calculus). Differential calculus deals with

derivatives, which is the rate of change or slope of a function. Integral calculus deals with

integration, which can be used to find areas and volumes of things.

Calculus can be applied to the real world in many ways and one of those ways is through

solids of revolution using integral calculus. A solid of revolution is a solid that is obtained by

rotating a plane figure in space about an axis coplanar to the figure (Simmons). Calculus is very

useful to the world we live in today and without its discovery hundreds of years ago, the world

would be a much darker place.

Part 1: Finding the Area Under a Curve

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Integral calculus is useful when finding the area under the curve of a graph. In order to

find the area, the definite integral, f ( x ) dx must be known and understood. The definite
a

integral is used to calculate the area under the curve, which just means calculating the area

between the curve and the x-axis. The definite integral is the area of the region under the graph

of f(x) from the x-value at the beginning of an interval to the x-value at the end of that interval

(Foerster). In the definite integral, the b represents the x-value at the end of the interval, the

a represents the x-value at the beginning of the interval, the f(x) represents the equation or

its graph, and the dx represents integral of f(x) with respect to x.

Figure 1. Graph of the Area Under the Curve

x
Figure 1 shows the graph of the equation y= on the interval from x=2 x =10
3

and the area between the curve and the x-axis.

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x
When given an equation and an interval, such as y= , x=2 x=10 , it can first be
3

graphed to get a better understanding of what is really going on (refer to Figure 1 above). Then to

actually calculate the area under the curve of the graph, plug the original equation in for f(x),

plug the x-value at the end of the interval in for b, and plug the x-value at the beginning of the

interval in for a. This is because a and b are the limits that the graph is being measured

x
from so that it is not finding the area under the curve for the entire y= 3 curve, but just a

portion of it marked in the interval from x=2 x =10 . The next step involves integrating the

original equation, then individually plugging the beginning and end intervals (a and b or 2

x
and 10) into the original equation, y=
3 , and then solving each equation to get a value for

y. The final step is to subtract the value obtained when the a value of 2 was plugged into the

integrated equation from the value obtained when the b value of 10 was plugged into the

integrated equation. This computes the final answer and is the area under the curve in that

x
specific interval from x=2 x =10 for the equation y=
3 . The example in Figure 2 below

shows how to solve this problem asking to find the area under the curve of a graph.

x
Problem: Find the area of the region under the graph (A) of y= , x=2 x=10 .
3
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b
Area= f ( x ) dx
a

10
x
Area= dx
2 3

Area=16 un 2

Figure 2. Finding Area Under the Curve

Figure 2 shows how to correctly solve a problem asking to find the area under the curve

when given an equation and an interval.

Part 2: Finding the Area Between Two Curves

Another way to use integral calculus is when finding the area between two curves.

Finding the area between two curves is very similar to finding the area under a curve. The small

difference is that for the area between two curves, subtraction must be used. For example, if two

x
equations are given, such as y= an d y= x and the problem asks to find the area between
3

them, then the two equations must be graphed in order to know which equation is being

subtracted from the other. When graphed, it can be seen that the y= x equation is above the

x x
y= equation so that means the y= equation must be subtracted from the y= x
3 3

equation. Also, the interval to use for the graphs must be found. This can be done by looking at

the graphs of the two equations and finding the intersection points. These coordinates are used as
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the interval and as shown in Figure 3 below, the interval for this problem would be from x=0

to x=9 .

Figure 3. Graph of the Area Between the Curves

x
Figure 3 shows the graph of the equations y= y= x and the area between the two
3

curves.

To calculate the area between two curves, plug the higher original equation, y= x , in

x
for f(x) and the lower original equation, y=
3 , in for g(x). Then plug the x-value at the

end of the interval, 9, in for b, and plug the x-value at the beginning of the interval, 0, in for

a, which were obtained by finding the intersection points of the two graphs. After the equation

is integrated, the next step is to individually plug the beginning and end intervals (a and b or
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x
0 and 9) into the integrated equation, y= and then solve each equation to get a value for
3

y. Then the answer obtained when the a value of 0 was plugged in is subtracted from the

answer obtained when the b value of 9 was plugged in to get the answer for the equation

x
y= y= x . Finally, the final answer
3 . This process must be repeated using the equation

x
from the y= equation is subtracted from the final answer from the y= x equation.
3

x
This answer is the area between the two curves of y= y= x . The example in Figure 4
3

below shows this process and how to solve this problem asking to find the area under the curve

of a graph.

x
Problem: Find the area of the region (R) between the graphs of y= amd y= x
3

b
A rea= (f ( x )g ( x ) )dx
a

9
A rea=
0
( x 3x ) dx
A rea=4.5un2

Figure 4. Finding the Area Between Two Curves

Figure 4 shows how to correctly solve a problem asking to find the area between two

curves when given two equations.

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Part 3: Finding Volumes of Solids of Revolution

Calculus can also be used to find the volume of solids of revolution. There are three

methods that are commonly used to calculate the volume of a solid. These include the disk

method, the ring method, and the shell method. The disk method is the simplest and is similar to

finding the area under a curve. The equation used for the disk method is V = r dx or
2

d
V = r 2 dy , depending on the axis of rotation. The ring method is similar to finding the area
c

between two curves since you have to subtract one ring from another ring. The equation used for

2 2
R r R r
( 2)dx ( 2)dy
the ring method is b
or d
, again depending on the axis of rotation. The
V = V =
a c

final way to find the volume for solids of revolution is the shell method. The equation used for

b d

the shell method is V = 2 rx dx or V = 2 rxdy , depending on the axis of rotation,

a c

where r represents the radius and x represents the function.

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Plane slicing is when there is a solid of revolution, which is obtained from rotating a

region around a line, and then that solid is cut or sliced with a plane perpendicular to the axis of

rotation. This concept is used to calculate the volume for a solid because it makes it easier, more

useful, and more efficient. Since the formula to calculate the volume of a solid is

b
volume= (area of thecross section)(length of the solid) , where the length of the solid equals
a

dx, all that is needed is the formula of the geometric shape being used to cut the solid.

The axis of rotation plays a key role in the type of cut being made (dx or dy). When

making a dx cut, it is because the problem deals with the x-axis or a line parallel to the x-axis.

When making a dy cut, it is because the problem deals with the y-axis or a line parallel to the

y-axis.

Figure 5. Graph of the Volume of a Revolved Solid

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x
Figure 5 shows the graph of the equations y= y= x and the volume of the solid
3

when it is rotated about the line y=2 .

Even though the three methods, mentioned earlier, are used to find the volume for solids

of revolution, they do not all always work for every solid and sometimes have to be modified to

better fit the curve. For example, if the problem gives two equations, such as

x
y= a n d y= x and says to rotate around the line y=2 (see Figure 5 above), then the
3

ring method cannot just be used like it normally would be if it said to rotate around the x-axis.

R2r
( 2)dx
The original form when rotating around the x-axis is b
, but since it is now rotating
V =
a

R+ 2


( 2(r +2) 2) dx
around the line y=2 , the new form is . This is because the graph is

b
V =
a
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being rotated around the line y=2 , which is translated two down from the x-axis so this has

to be represented in the equation, which is why there is the +2 added to each equation. For this

example, the first thing to do would be to plug in the equation y= x in for R and the

x
equation y= in for r. Then the interval would be found by finding the intersection points
3

of the two graphs and plugging them in for a and b. Then the equation would be integrated,

the high and low values of the interval would be plugged into the equation, and each part would

be solved. Finally, the low value interval answer would be subtracted from the high value

interval answer to get the total volume in that solid being revolved (shown in Figure 6 below).

x
Problem: When given the graphs of y= y= x , find the volume of the solid when the
3

region (R) is rotated about the line between the line y=2 .

R 2r
( 2) dx
b

Volume=
a

R+2


( 2(r +2) 2) dx


b
Volume=
a
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x+ 2


x
( 2( + 2) 2) dx
3


9
Volume=
0

Volume=98.96 un3

Figure 6. Finding the Volume of Revolved Solid

Figure 6 shows how to correctly solve a problem asking to find the volume of a solid

x
when given the equations y= y= x and is rotated about the line y=2 .
3

x
Another example would be if the problem said to revolve the graph of y= around
3

the line x=2 . One way to do this problem would be to use the disk method, but again since

it is not rotating around the y-axis, the original form must be modified from V = r dy to
2

c
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( r)


now be . This is because the graph is being rotated around the line x=2 , which is
d
V =
c

translated two to the left of the y-axis so this has to be represented in the equation which is why

there is the +2.

Part 4: Finding the Volume Using Cross-sections

Another way calculus can be used is to find the volume using cross-sections. There are

many types of cross-sections, including squares, isosceles right triangles, semi-circles,

rectangles, and many other geometric shapes. Cross-sections are used to quickly and easily find

the volume of an object since all that is needed is the area of the geometric shape being used to

cut the object. In order to calculate the cross-section of a region, the equation that should be used

is volume= (area of thecross section)(length of the solid) . This is tricky though because
a

depending on the shape of the cross-section, the area can change. For example, if rectangles are

being used, the area would be ( length )( width ) ( height ) .

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Figure 7. Graph of the Volume Using Cross-sections

x
Figure 7 shows the graph of the equations y= y= x with isosceles right triangle
3

cross-sections.

If isosceles right triangles are being used to find the volume between two graphs, such as

x
y= y= x like in Figure 7 above, the equation that would be used is
3

b
volume= (area of thecross section)(length of the solid) , in which the area would be
a

x
x 2
3
( 12 )( base) ( height ) , so 1 and the length of the solid would just be dx. Once
()
A ( x) =
2

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these pieces are plugged into the equation v olume= A ( x ) dx , the equation is then
a

integrated, the high and low interval values obtained from plotting the equations and finding the

intersection points in for x are plugged in , and the problem is solved. This process is shown in

Figure 8 below.

b
Volume= A ( x ) dx
a

x


9
1
Volume=
20

Volume=1.35un3

Figure 8. Finding the Volume Using Cross-sections

Figure 8 shows how to correctly solve a problem asking to find the volume when given

x
the equations y= y= x using isosceles right triangle cross-sections.
3

In conclusion, calculus is extremely important in the world we live in today. Without

calculus, we would never have been able to discover and invent the things we did. The discovery

of calculus has led to the discovery of many other fields as well, including geometry. Thanks to

the great and powerful minds of Isaac Newton and Gottfried Leibniz, the amazing world of

calculus was born.

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Works Cited

"Calculus." Math Is Fun. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2017. <https://www.mathsisfun.com/calculus/>.

"Definition of Calculus." English Oxford Living Dictionaries. Oxford University, n.d. Web. 25

Feb. 2017. <https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/calculus>.

Foerster, Paul A. Calculus: Concepts and Applications. 2nd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall hunt,

2010. Print.

Simmons, Bruce. "Mathwords." Solid of Revolution. N.p., 21 Feb. 2017. Web. 25 Feb. 2017.

<http://www.mathwords.com/s/solid_of_revolution.htm>.