Can the Volume of a Sphere be Calculated Using its Surface Area and Radius?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between the volume and surface area of a sphere, specifically exploring how to express these quantities in terms of the radius and differentiate them with respect to time. Participants are attempting to prove a specific relationship involving the rates of change of volume and surface area.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant states the need to prove that dv/dt = 1/2 r.dx/dt based on the volume and surface area of a sphere.
  • Another suggests expressing the volume and surface area as functions of the radius and differentiating them.
  • Several participants express difficulty in finding the correct approach or formulas necessary for differentiation.
  • It is noted that the volume of a sphere is v = 4/3 π r^3 and the surface area is x = 4π r^2.
  • One participant attempts to relate the volume and surface area but arrives at an incorrect differentiation result.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of expressing both volume and surface area solely in terms of the radius before differentiating.
  • Participants discuss the chain rule and the need to treat r as a function of time t.
  • There is a clarification on the correct differentiation leading to the relationship dv/dt = 1/2 r.dx/dt.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the formulas for volume and surface area, but there is disagreement and confusion regarding the differentiation process and the interpretation of the results. The discussion remains unresolved as participants continue to seek clarity on the differentiation steps.

Contextual Notes

Some participants express uncertainty about the differentiation process and the application of the chain rule. There are also mentions of potential errors in substituting values and interpreting the relationships between the variables.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for students or individuals interested in calculus, particularly in understanding the differentiation of geometric formulas and the relationships between related rates in physics and mathematics.

wolfsprint
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The volume of a sphere is = v cm^3, it's radius is = r cm, it's surface area is = x cm^2, prove that : dv/dt = 1/2 r.dx/dt
 
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Express the volume and the surface area through r(t) and differentiate them.
 
I tried and I couldn't, can you please show the work?
 
wolfsprint said:
I tried and I couldn't, can you please show the work?
Well, start by showing your work in expressing the volume and the surface area through the radius. You should not do it yourself; you should just find the formulas in a textbook or online. Then what exactly is your difficulty in differentiating? You need to use the chain rule because the volume is a function of r and r is a function of t.
 
The only equation i managed to find is v=4/3 "pi" r^3 which is he volume of the sphere.
So if we say that the surface area = x ,then
V=1/3 r . X
But then when i differentiate it it turns out like this ,
Dv/dt = 1/3 dr/dt . Dx/dt , and that prove needs dv/dt = 1/2 r . Dx/dt
 
First, do not mix uppercase and lowercase letters, such as X and x. In mathematics, they often denote different entities.

wolfsprint said:
The only equation i managed to find is v=4/3 "pi" r^3 which is he volume of the sphere.
So if we say that the surface area = x ,then
V=1/3 r . X
Since you found the relationship between v and x, you must know that $x = 4\pi r^2$, so this is the second equation that you have. You can also find this in Wikipedia.

wolfsprint said:
But then when i differentiate it it turns out like this ,
Dv/dt = 1/3 dr/dt . Dx/dt , and that prove needs dv/dt = 1/2 r . Dx/dt
In post #2, I recommended expressing both v and x only through r and then differentiating them as compositions v(r(t)) and x(r(t)). Here you expressed v through x and r.
 
I still don't understand , what do you by "expressing"?
 
wolfsprint said:
I still don't understand , what do you by "expressing"?
By expressing $v$ and $x$ through $r$ I mean finding formulas containing constants and $r$ only that give the values of $v$ and $x$. These formulas are $v=\frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$ and $x=4\pi r^2$. Then we have $\frac{dv}{dt}=4\pi r^2\frac{dr}{dt}$. Similarly, find $\frac{dx}{dt}$ (keep in mind that $r$ is a function of $t$, i.e., $x(t)$ is a composite function $x(r(t))$, just like $v(r(t))$) and compare the results.
 
Thanks a lot but i still didnt get what you are trying to tell me , I've got all these equations on the paper and i tried to substitute each in the original but it just won't get the right answer! the fact that dr/dt exists is not right :(:confused:
 
  • #10
So, we established that

\[\frac{dv}{dt}=4\pi r^2\frac{dr}{dt}\tag1\]

Next, since $x=4\pi r^2$, we have

\[\frac{dx}{dt}=8\pi r\frac{dr}{dt}\tag2\]

Comparing the right-hand sides of (1) and (2), we see that $\frac{dv}{dt}=\frac{1}{2}r\frac{dx}{dt}$.
 
  • #11
Using the given variables, we have:

The volume of the sphere is:

(1) $\displaystyle v=\frac{4}{3}\pi r^3$

The surface area is:

(2) $\displaystyle x=4\pi r^2$

We are asked to show:

$\displaystyle \frac{dv}{dt}=\frac{1}{2}r\frac{dx}{dt}$

Now, differentiating (1) and (2) with respect to time t, solving both for $\displaystyle \frac{dr}{dt}$ and equating, what do we find?
 
  • #12
Thanks a lot! i can't believe i missed that
 

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