Derivation of the area of a sphere formula.

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the derivation of the formula for the surface area of a sphere, specifically the expression 4πR². Participants explore various methods and concepts related to this topic, including the relationship between the volume of a sphere and its surface area.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss different approaches to derive the surface area, including integral calculus and geometric reasoning. Questions are raised about proving the volume of a sphere and its relation to the surface area. Some participants express skepticism about deriving the area without calculus.

Discussion Status

The discussion is active, with various methods being proposed and explored. Some participants provide insights into historical methods, while others question the feasibility of non-calculus approaches. There is no explicit consensus, but multiple interpretations and methods are being examined.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention constraints such as the requirement to avoid integrals in their proofs, which adds complexity to the discussion. There are references to historical figures and methods, indicating a broader context of mathematical exploration.

mprm86
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Deduce the formula for the area of a sphere with ratio R. (I already know it is 4*pi*R^2)
 
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The volume of a ball is [tex]\frac{4}{3}{\pi}r^3[/tex] and the surface area of a ball is [tex]4{\pi}r^2[/tex]. The surface area is the derivative of the volume.

Jameson
 
Not really.The cube...:wink:

The simplest is:
[tex]S=\iint dS=R^{2}\int_{0}^{2\pi}d\varphi \int_{0}^{\pi} d\vartheta \ \sin\vartheta[/tex]

Daniel.
 
How do you prove the volume of the ball is the one that u mentioned & how do you prove that the area of the 2-sphere is the derivative (wrt radius) of the volume of the 3-ball...?

Daniel.
 
Yes, I have to prove that the volume of a sphere is [tex]\frac{4}{3}{\pi}r^3[/tex], and that the surface area of a sphere is [tex]4{\pi}r^2[/tex], without using integrals.
 
The volume of a sphere is zero...There's a giant thread here (i think in the "Calculus & Analysis" forum) bearing this meaningless name (the volume of a sphere),in which Saltydog,Mathwonk & Galileo give Archimede's rationale...

Daniel.
 
The volume of a sphere can be obtained without using integrals by remarking that the volume of a cylinder of radius r and height r is equal with the volume of a cone having the radius of the base r and the height r + the volume of a semisphere of radius r. If I remember well the demonstration involved the use of the principle of Cavalieri. So the volume of a semisphere is (2/3)*π*r3. But I do not think that the area of a sphere can be obtained without calculus, at least I do not think there is an easy (and exact) method.
 
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I don't know of any method that doesn't rely on caculus, but the volume is a pretty easy "volume of rotation" integration. Just set up a hemi-sphere as the volume of rotation of the function y=+sqrt(r^2 - x^2) over x=[0..r].

& how do you prove that the area of the 2-sphere is the derivative (wrt radius) of the volume of the 3-ball...?

dV = A dr can be obtained "by inspection".
 
missing calculus...integrals are good to solve such.
 
  • #10
Start from the equation y = sqr(x^2 - r) (r is a constant)
Integrate it to get the surface of a circle, pi*r^2
Then say you are putting a whole bunch of discs, with volume pi*r^2 * dx along the x-axis with radius y = sqr(x^2 - r) to get this function:

Integral[-1 to 1]: sqr(x^2 - r)^2 * pi = pi*Integral[-1 to 1]: x^2 - r


Of course, you'd also need the proofs that a semi circle is defined by y = sqr(x^2 - r) and all the calculus ones.
 
  • #11
Archimedes solved the problem of finding the area of a sphere with given radius.

I don't know how he did it, but I know it his solution counts as one of the most notable mathematical achievements.
 
  • #12
Whoops, my mistake, I meant to use the perimeter of a circle formula (2pi*r) * dx, which would give you the sum of the areas of the rounded edge of all the discs (which would approach sphere's area as dx -> 0)
 
  • #13
http://www.zazzle.com/derivation_of_the_formula_for_the_surface_area_tshirt-235183739395232296

I don't work for zazzle or care to serve as an ad campaign for them. But this was
the clearest and most concise derivation of the area of a sphere that I found.
 
  • #14
This does not precisely deduce the area formula for a sphere, but it's nonetheless a very nice video representation, conceptually: http://www.rkm.com.au/animations/animation-Sphere-Surface-Area-Derivation.html
 
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