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Christopher Conte
Mr. Acre
AP Calculus
February 23, 2015
Solids of Revolution
Math is everywhere. Even in the foods we eat, mathematical calculus concepts
can be implemented to solve for information that seems impossible to find. Whether the
volume of a donut, a Hersheys Kiss, or even a wedge of cheese is desired, calculus
makes it possible to solve for. Through the use of a definite integral, the area under
curves and volumes of solids of revolution may be calculated rather easily. There are
three viable methods in finding the volume of a solid of revolution and they are the disk
method, the ring method, and the shell method. Further, the volume of a solid may be
calculated by the cross-section method, where the solid is cut into many slices where
the base is a more familiar shape. Through calculus, it is possible to solve for all of
these volumes and areas.
Area Under a Curve
Calculating the area of basic shapes is a fairly simple concept, but what if one
wants to solve for the area under a curve? Due to the complexity of a problem such as
this, there are countless different ways to estimate the area under a curve. One such
method would be draw in rectangles, a shape whose area can be calculated easily, from
the x-axis to the curve itself. As these rectangles would not adequately fill in the area,
using a small amount of rectangles of great width would result in a less accurate
estimate. To calculate a better estimate of the area under a curve, one must use many

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rectangles of much smaller width. The problem with this method is that it is not time
efficient to manually calculate the area of many different rectangles in order to estimate
the area under a curve. Therefore, the quickest and most time efficient way of
determining the area under a curve is to use the definite integral.
b

f ( x ) dx
a

Above is the proper calculus notation for the definite integral. The variables a
and b correspond to the bounds of integration. The value f(x) is the function that
bounds the area. The value dx is the width of the rectangles that are being used to
estimate the area. When taking the definite integral, the value of dx is so small that
there is an infinite amount of rectangles in the bounded area. A dx cut is perpendicular
to the x-axis and is used when the function solves for y in terms of x.

b=4
a=0

dx
Figure 1. Area bounded below y =

Example: Find the area of the region under the curve y =

x from x = 0 thru x

= 4. The shaded region in Figure 1 shows the area bound beneath the equation y =

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x between 0 and 4 on the x axis. Here is the set-up and integration for calculating
the area through the use of a definite integral:
4

x dx
0

2 3/ 2
4
3

2 3 /2
0
3

= 5.33 units2
If the area between the function and the y-axis is desired, this question could be
solved in a similar way. The equation must be manipulated so x is in terms of y. Then,
rather than a dx cut, a dy cut (perpendicular to the y-axis) is used. This means that
each of the rectangles are drawn from the y axis, to the curve of the graph. The limits of
integration would now correspond with y-values instead of x-values. Keep in mind that
the area under a curve while using dy cuts is to the left of the function, rather than
below the function. After these changes are made, the area is found in the same way
as dx cuts.
Area Between Two Curves:
The area between two curves may also be calculated by using the definite
integral. The process for finding the area between two curves works just like finding the
area under one curve, with a few minor changes. When using two functions, you must
combine the two functions by subtracting the bottom function from the top function. In
essence, the curve whose area is occupying a lesser amount of space is being
subtracted from the area of the curve that occupies more space. Therefore, the x-axis is
not the lower bound for the area, but another function is. The top function and bottom
function are figured by their location relative to the axis in which dx or dy cuts are

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perpendicular to. As stated before, dx cuts correlate to the x-axis while dy cuts correlate
to being perpendicular to the y-axis. The top function is the function farthest away from
this axis of rotation. To further understand why which function must be subtracted from
the other, think of how the area of each individual function would look with the respect to
the axis of rotation. The bottom functions area will be a subset of the area of the top
function. For the limits of integration, points of intersection are typically used, where the
lower bound is where the functions first intersect, and the upper bound is where the
functions intersect again.

Figure 2. Area bounded between y =

x and y = 3

Example (5a): Find the area of the region bound between y =

x and y = 3

. First, the bounds of integration must be found. This can be done algebraically or
graphically. The lower bound, as depicted in Figure 2, is at x = 0. The upper bound,
however, cannot be determined so easily. In this example, it was done graphically. The
point in which the two graphs intersect was determined to be at x = 9. Therefore, the
value for a would be zero and the value for b would be nine. From here, the problem

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is solved almost identically to the example for under one curve. The lone difference is

that the bottom function, y =

x
, must be subtracted from the top function, y =
3

because within the limits of integration, y =

x
3

is closer to the x-axis than y =

x ,

x.

( x x3 ) dx
0

2 2
1 2
0 0
3
6

2 2
1
9 92
3
6

4.5 units2
Volume Using Disks, Rings, and Shells
The method used to find the area beneath or between curves can be applied to
find volumes. There are three methods that are commonly used to find the volume of a
solid of revolution. The first, and most simple, of these methods to solve for volume is
called the disk method. In the disk method, the area formed by the function and an axis
is taken and rotated around an axis to create a circular shape. When solving for a
volume using disks, it is as if there are an infinite number of disks stacked on top of
each other in area that has been rotated around the axis.

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Figure 3. Disk Method Visual

Figure 3 shows one of the infinitely many disks created when finding the volume
of a solid of revolution using the disk method. When rotating around the x axis, the
value of f(x) will be the radius of the circular base of the cylinder, or disk, created while
the height of the cylinder corresponds to the value of dx, the length of one of those
infinitely small cuts made to find the greatest approximation for the volume.
Yet again, an unfamiliar shape has been sliced into an infinite amount of more
familiar shapes in order to make the desired calculations. Each of these disks are really
just cylinders with infinitely small heights. Therefore, the equation for the volume of a
cylinder will be incorporated into the integral:
Volume= r 2h
In the equation,

r 2 accounts for the area of the circular base of the disk, and h

accounts for the height of the disk. The values for r and h will vary depending on if a dx
or a dy cut has been made. When a dx cut is made, h will be equal to dx while r will be

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equal to y. To better understand why, realize that dx cuts are parallel to the y-axis so
when the area is rotated around the x-axis, the value of r will be equivalent to y for any
given disk. Therefore, the opposite will be true when dealing with a dy cuts and a
rotation around the y-axis. Using these values will allow make it possible to set up the
derivative volume equation. Doing so, yields the following equation:
dV = y 2 dx
The limits of integration for the bounded area being rotated are used in the same way
for calculating the volume. Also, It is essential to remember that with the disk method,
the cut being used must be perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

Figure 4. Disks formed by revolving y =

x around the x-axis

Example: Find the volume for rotating
the area below y =

x from x = 0 to x = 9

around the x-axis. Figure 4 shows a few of

the disks used to solve this problem.
Because the axis of rotation is horizontal, dx
cuts are used, as they must be perpendicular
to the axis of rotation. The following is the set-up for calculating this volume:
9

( x ) dx
0
9

x dx
0

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1 2 1 2
9
0
2
2
40.5 units

Rings are similar to disks, yet different. The difference is that now the revolved
solid has a hollow center. Therefore, ring method is utilized when there is empty space
between the area and the axis of rotation. As a result, the volume is now an infinite
number of rings, rather than disks, stacked on top of each other. The volume of a ring
can be thought of the difference between the volume of two disks. Therefore, there is
the following variation of the equation for disks:
R
( 2r 2) dx
dV =
R is the major radius, or the top function, and r is the minor radius, which can be
another function or a void that has been created due to the area being rotated around a
line that it is not adjacent to. The cut perpendicular to the axis of rotation rule applies
for rings, just as it did for disks. In cases where the x-axis or y-axis is not the axis of
rotation and the volume of the solid in question is the area bound by two separate
functions, the appropriate manipulations must be made to each function. This means if

the major radius, R, is y =

x and the minor radius, r, is y = 3 , and y = -2 is the

axis of rotation, then both would have to add 2 in order to calculate the proper volume.

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Figure 5. Ring formed by rotating the area bound by y =

y=

x
3

x and

around y = -2.
Example (5b): Find the volume of the solid generated when the area bounded by

y=

x and y = 3 is rotated around the horizontal line y = -2. As shown in Figure

5, rings must be used to solve this problem due to the void between the rotated region
and the axis of rotation. Due to the axis of rotation being horizontal, dx cuts must be
used, as they are perpendicular to horizontal axes. Here, y =

because it is further from the axis of rotation of y = -2, and y =

x is the major radius,

x
3

is the minor radius.

Because the axis of rotation is not the y-axis, the appropriate change of subtracting -2,
which is just adding 2, from each function must be done when they are plugged into the
integral. Graphically, this also makes sense because the radius of each disk should be

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the sum of the distance from the curve to the x-axis and the x-axis to the axis of
rotation. Shown below is the setup and solution for this definite integral:
9

2
x
( x +2) + 2 dx
3
0
2

( )

31.5 units3
The shell method is similar to the two previously used methods in the sense that
it finds that volume of an area under or between curves that has been rotated around an
axis. Rather than using an infinite amount of disks stacked on top of another, the shells
method uses and infinite number of hollow cylinders inside of each other. A good rule of
thumb to go by when determining which method is appropriate is considering what the
axis of rotation is. When the equation solves for y in terms of x, and the axis of rotation
is horizontal, disks or rings should be used. However, when the equation solves for x in
terms of y, the shell method should be used. When dealing with a vertical axis of
rotation, the opposite is true.

Figure 6. Shell Method Visual

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Figure 6 shows one of the many shells created when finding the volume of a
solid of revolution using the disk method. When using the shells method, the cut being
made is parallel to the axis of rotation, hence the rule of thumb stated earlier. If the
cylindrical shell being use were unrolled and flattened, it would be a rectangle with
thickness of dx.

2 x

Figure 7. Dimensions of the Rectangular Prism

The length y corresponds to the function, or function, that bounds the area that
has been revolved. The width
multiplying

2 x

corresponds to the circumference of a circle,

by x, which is the radius when the axis of rotation is vertical. In the

shell, the circumference of the circle now correlates to the width of the rectangular
prism. The height dx accounts for the small thickness for the infinite number of shells
being used. If dy cuts are being used, x and y switch places on the prism shown in
Figure 7.
The prism shown in Figure 7 provides the following equation for dV, depending
on whether a dx or a dy cut is being used:

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dV = ( 2 x )ydxdV =( 2 y )xdy
Each of these equations can be manipulated into this form, which will be used to
find the volume of the solid of revolution in question. Keep in mind that dy would be
used in place of dx when a dy cut is made. Below is the basic form for the shell
method:
b

2 ( x )( y ) dx
a

Figure 8. Shell formed by rotating the area bound by y =

and the line x = 3

around the y axis

Example: As shown in Figure 8, shells can be used to solve this problem. This is
done with a dx cut, because the axis of rotation is vertical, and the shells method
requires that the cuts be made parallel to the axis of rotation. The line x = 3 acts as the
upper bound while the lower bound is at x = 0.
3

2 ( x ) ( x ) dx
0

V =12.47 units3
Cross-Section Method

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The cross-section method is another way to find the volume of a three
dimensional figure. This figure, however, has not been revolved around any axis.
Instead, in the cross-section method, the area is the base of a solid. Using the slabs
method, there is an infinite number of slabs, stacked up next to each other within the
limits of integration, whose bases are perpendicular to a given axis. The cross-section
method will use a different equation depending on the shape that the cross sections
actually are:
dV = ( equation for area of desired shape ) dx
The equation is merely the equation for area of the desired slab shape, multiplied
by dx, or dy, to account for the thickness of the slabs that are to be used in the desired
range. The variables that comprise the area of the shape must properly align within the
function that bounds the area.

Figure 9. Isosceles right triangle slabs formed between the graphs y =

x and

y=

x
3
Example (5c): The region between y =

x and y = 3 is the base of a solid

that has cross-sections perpendicular to the x-axis that are isosceles right triangles with

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one leg on the base. Find the volume of this solid. Figure 9 shows several of these
triangles. In order to solve such a problem, the limits of integration will first be found.
These may be found by determining where the two functions intersect. As was figured
before, these limits are at the intersection points (0,0) and (3,9). The equation for the
area of triangle must be substituted into the dV equation shown before. Further, the
integral of the dV equation must be taken in order to find the volume of the solid:
1
2
( bh) dx
9

V =
0

Next the variables, in terms of the equations, must be found. The bounded triangles are
isosceles with a leg on the base. Therefore, both the height and the base have the
same value. Further, this value is simply the difference between the equations, y =

and y =

x
. The integral can now be set-up to look like this:
3

1
x 2
(
x
) dx

2 0
3
V =1.35 units3
Calculus can be used to calculate volume and areas in a plethora of ways.
Through the use of definite integrals, the volume of three different types solids of
revolutions, disks, rings, and shells, were calculated. Further, definite integrals were
used to calculate the area of regions as well as the volume of a solid using the slab
method. Interestingly, despite slight differentiations in the processes, each of these
methods are incredibly efficient in calculating the area or the volume of a solids or

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regions. Despite differences, these methods all rely on the use of a definite integral.
These methods prove how the knowledge of the building blocks of calculus are
essential to more advanced calculations. Each of these methods, with all of their
differences, are efficient ways of determining the volume of solids.

Works Cited
"Applications of the Integral: Volumes of Solids." SparkNotes. N.p., n.d. Web.
17 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.sparknotes.com/math/calcbc2/applicationsoftheintegral/section2.rht
ml>.
"Volume of a Solid of Revolution by Cylindrical Shells." Cochranmath. N.p., n.d. Web.
17 Feb. 2015. <http://cochranmath.pbworks.com/w/page/26244822/Volume
%20of%20a%20solid%20of%20revolution%20by%20cylindrical%20shells>.