Calculating Football Volume with Shells Method - Calc Quest

  • Thread starter Thread starter courtrigrad
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around calculating the volume of a standard football, with participants exploring the use of the method of shells and the geometric representation of the football as an ellipsoid or prolate spheroid.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants question the appropriate geometric representation of a football, discussing whether to use an ellipse or an ellipsoid, and some suggest using the method of shells for volume calculation.

Discussion Status

There is a range of interpretations regarding the shape of the football and the method to calculate its volume. Some participants have offered alternative approaches, such as using water displacement, while others have pointed out potential misunderstandings in terminology.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express confusion over the terminology used to describe the shape of the football, indicating a need for clarity on geometric definitions. Additionally, there are comments reflecting personal biases towards different types of football.

courtrigrad
Messages
1,236
Reaction score
2
How would you find the volume of a standard football? Would you just represent it as an ellipse, and use the method of shells to evaluate the volume?

Thanks :smile:
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What do you mean "just represent it as an ellipse"? An ellipse is a two-dimensional object and a foot-ball is not. I presume you meant "an ellipsoid". If you know the formula for volume of an ellipsoid, go ahead and use it. If you don't then you would probably find the volume of an ellipsoid by using the method of shells anyway.
 
Actually, he ought to find the volume of a prolate spheroid, but I don't like American football to begin with, so it is a complete mystery to me why I entered this thread in the first place only in order to post a thouroughly anal comment about something I loathe.
 
Put in a fixed volume of water, and collect the displaced amount - EUREKA!

- Ben
 
See this sort of complicated problem wouldn't have arisen if you Americans played normal football with a nearly spherical object like the rest of the world. :biggrin: LOL

At any rate, this link might help : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prolate_spheroid
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

Volume's effect on buoyancy: Does pressure increase?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Polarization of a solid sphere of nonconducting material
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Trouble solving for end state of two control volumes in a rigid tank
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
How to calculate freezing time for a moist food by-product (75% water)
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
E&M: Gauss' Law Surface Charge Density
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Calculate ideal-gas temperature of a material
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Question about problem solving approach to Gauss' Law
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
2K
Calculating Moment of Inertia for Hollow Cylinder w/ Water
  • · Replies 40 ·
2
Replies
40
Views
7K
Electrostatic Potential Energy stored outside a shell.
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
4K
MHB Revolving Volume of R on x=3 using Shell Method
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K