MHB Josh Mcdaniel's question at Yahoo Answers regarding a volume of revolution

  • Thread starter Thread starter MarkFL
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Revolution Volume
Click For Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the volume of a solid generated by revolving the region bounded by the x-axis, the curve y=3x^4, and the lines x=-1 and x=1 about the x-axis. The volume is determined using both the disk and shell methods, with both approaches yielding a final volume of 2π. The disk method simplifies the calculation by focusing on the first quadrant and doubling the result, while the shell method involves integrating with respect to y. Key calculations include the use of the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus (FTOC) for both methods. Ultimately, the volume of the solid of revolution is confirmed to be 2π.
MarkFL
Gold Member
MHB
Messages
13,284
Reaction score
12
Here is the question:

Revolving a region about the x-axis and finding the volume?


Find the volume of the solid generated by revolving the region bounded by the x axis, the curve y=3x^4 and lines x=-1 and x=1 about the x axis.

I have posted a link there to this thread so the OP can view my work.
 
Mathematics news on Phys.org
Hello Josh Mcdaniel,

Because the region to be revolved is symmetric across the $y$-axis, we need only consider the first quadrant part of the region, and then double the result.

Disk method:

The volume of an arbitrary disk is:

$$dV=\pi r^2\,dx$$

where:

$$r=y=3x^4$$

Hence, we have:

$$dV=\pi \left(3x^4 \right)^2\,dx=9\pi x^8\,dx$$

Summing up the disks, we find:

$$V=2\cdot9\pi\int_0^1 x^8\,dx$$

Applying the FTOC, we obtain:

$$V=2\pi\left[x^9 \right]_0^1=2\pi\left(1^9-0^9 \right)=2\pi$$

Shell method:

The volume of an arbitrary shell is:

$$dV=2\pi rh\,dy$$

where:

$$r=y$$

$$h=1-x=1-\left(\frac{y}{3} \right)^{\frac{1}{4}}$$

Hence, we find:

$$dV=2\pi y\left(1-\left(\frac{y}{3} \right)^{\frac{1}{4}} \right)\,dy=2\pi\left(y-\frac{1}{\sqrt[4]{3}}y^{\frac{5}{4}} \right)\,dy$$

And so, summing all the shells, we find:

$$V=2\cdot2\pi\int_0^3 y-\frac{1}{\sqrt[4]{3}}y^{\frac{5}{4}}\,dy$$

Application of the FTOC yields:

$$V=4\pi\left[\frac{1}{2}y^2-\frac{4}{3^{\frac{9}{4}}}y^{\frac{9}{4}} \right]_0^3=4\pi\left(\left(\frac{9}{2}-4 \right)-0 \right)=4\pi\cdot\frac{1}{2}=2\pi$$
 
Here is a little puzzle from the book 100 Geometric Games by Pierre Berloquin. The side of a small square is one meter long and the side of a larger square one and a half meters long. One vertex of the large square is at the center of the small square. The side of the large square cuts two sides of the small square into one- third parts and two-thirds parts. What is the area where the squares overlap?

Similar threads

  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Replies
1
Views
1K
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K