Calculating Surface Area of Sphere for r = 3, 0 < theta < pi/2, 0 < phi < pi/3

In summary, the conversation discusses a calculation involving a sphere with a radius of 3, where theta ranges from 0 to pi/2 and phi ranges from 0 to pi/3. The conversation also mentions the volume and surface area of the sphere, with the question of whether the calculated surface area is correct or not. Further discussion reveals that the surface area should be 3pi, but the given answer is 9pi, possibly due to incorrect limits of integration.
  • #1
geft
148
0
For r = 3, 0 < theta < pi/2, 0 < phi < pi/3

[tex]\int_{\theta=0}^{\frac{\pi}{2}}\int_{\phi=0}^{\frac{\pi}{3}}r^2sin\theta d \theta d \phi[/tex]
[tex]=R^2 [-cos\theta]_{0}^{\frac{\pi}{2}} [\phi]_{0}^{\frac{\pi}{3}}[/tex]
[tex]=(3^2)(1)(\frac{\pi}{3}) = 3\pi[/tex]

The above is my working. The answer should be the same as the volume since 1/3R^3 (in the volume equation) = R^2 when R = 3 but the answer given is 9pi.
 
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  • #2
geft said:
For r = 3, 0 < theta < pi/2, 0 < phi < pi/3

[tex]\int_{\theta=0}^{\frac{\pi}{2}}\int_{\phi=0}^{\frac{\pi}{3}}r^2sin\theta d \theta d \phi[/tex]
[tex]=R^2 [-cos\theta]_{0}^{\frac{\pi}{2}} [\phi]_{0}^{\frac{\pi}{3}}[/tex]
[tex]=(3^2)(1)(\frac{\pi}{3}) = 3\pi[/tex]

The above is my working. The answer should be the same as the volume since 1/3R^3 (in the volume equation) = R^2 when R = 3 but the answer given is 9pi.
What "volume" are you talking about? Yes, the volume of the entire sphere of radius 3 is
[tex]\frac{4}{3}\pi (3)^3= 4\pi (3)^2[/tex]
the surface area of the sphere. But here you are working with only a portion of the sphere.

For the entire sphere, [itex]\theta[/itex] goes from 0 to [itex]\pi[/itex] and [itex]\phi[/itex] goes from 0 to [itex]2\pi[/itex] (you are using "engineering" notation which swaps [itex]\theta[/itex] and [itex]\phi[/itex] from "mathematics" notation).

With [itex]\theta[/itex] going from 0 to [itex]\pi/2[/itex], half its range, and [itex]\phi[/itex] going from 0 to [itex]\pi/3[/itex], 1/6 of its range, you are dealing with 1/12 of the entire sphere. The surface area of a sphere of radius 3 is [itex]4\pi 3^2= 36\pi[/itex] and the surface area of 1/12 of that sphere is [itex]3\pi[/itex], exactly what you get.

If the "area given" is [itex]9\pi[/itex] either the answer in the book is wrong or you are doing the wrong limits of integration. [itex]9\pi[/itex] would be 1/4 the surface area of a sphere of radius 3. you could get that by taking [itex]\theta[/itex] from 0 to [itex]\pi/2[/itex] as you have and then taking [itex]\phi[/itex] from 0 to [itex]\pi[/itex], not from 0 to [itex]\pi/3[/itex].
 
  • #3
That's what I was thinking, but this is what's written on the book.

http://i.imgur.com/rfvVp.jpg

I calculated the (constrained) volume earlier and got the answer correctly, but the surface area stumped me. Is there something I'm missing from the question? Do we have to limit phi from 0 to pi when calculating surface areas?
 
Last edited:

What is the formula for finding the surface area of a sphere?

The formula for finding the surface area of a sphere is 4πr2, where r is the radius of the sphere.

How do you calculate the surface area of a sphere?

To calculate the surface area of a sphere, you will need to know the radius of the sphere. Then, plug the radius into the formula 4πr2 and solve for the surface area.

Why is the surface area of a sphere important?

The surface area of a sphere is important because it helps us understand the amount of space that is enclosed within the sphere. It is also used in various mathematical and scientific calculations.

What is the unit for measuring surface area of a sphere?

The unit for measuring surface area of a sphere is square units, such as square inches or square meters.

Can the surface area of a sphere be negative?

No, the surface area of a sphere cannot be negative. It is a physical quantity that represents the total area of the sphere's surface, which is always a positive value.

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