Shell Method

➢ Introduction ​(Sage)​: Detail the type of situation that the problem is meant to solve.
Give an indication of how realistic it is, and discuss the scope of problems you could
encounter for it.
➢ The shell method is the one where you cut it out like an onion. If you cannot cut the
shape into a disk then you should cut it into the shell. You would want to use the disk
method if it is easily cut up into this perfect slices whereas the shell method would be
used to find the volume of a shape that is not easily cut into cylinders but it can be cut
like an onion. It is fairly realistic because most shapes you can cut like an onion and
when finding the area of weird shapes you can use the shell method to find the volume
which comes in handy for many shapes. You could encounter problems such as needing
to find the volume of an onion which you should really question because why an onion…
why not a tomato? Finding the volume of an irregular shape such as many cases in
engineering. If there is a cone cut out in the center you should definitely use the shell
method because it won’t cut into nice cylinders.

➢ Method of solution ​(Amanda)​: Include step by step instructions on how to solve

these problems. Detail what to look for, and how to determine which steps are
necessary. Example problems are useful. In some problems, graphs are as well.
○ Step by Step:
1. Draw the equation’s graph, and find the section that is the “shell”. The “shell” is the area
bounded by the equations.
2. Determine if it’s dx or dy. If it’s rotated horizontally (dx) or rotated vertically(dy). If it is
dy then it may be easiest to quit and do the disk method instead.
3. Determine the radius of the smallest shell and the radius of the largest shell. These will
be the limits of integration.
4. Determine the radius, which is usually x unless you are rotating around a different axis
(c ) then it is c-x
5. Determine the height, which comes from the equation.

6. Plug these numbers into the equation, 2π ∫ rh r=radius, h=height

7. Plug the numbers from step 3 into the integral.

8. Do the algebra (foil, combine like terms, simplify), and integrate.
9. Plug step 3 into variables.
10. Simplify.
○ Example Problem: y= 1/2x2 , y=0 , x=6
1.
2. This problem is dx because it’s being rotated horizontally.
3. 0 is the smallest and 6 is the largest.
4. The radius is x because it’s being rotated around the x-axis.
5. The height is 1/2x2

6. 2π ∫ x * 1/2x2 dx
6
7. 2π ∫ x * 1/2x2 dx
0
6
8. 2π ∫ x3 /2dx → 2π * (x4 /8)dx (To do this step we are integrating the equation so we have x4 /4
0
, and since theres a 2 on bottom we multiply the 4 and the 2 to get (x4 /8) ).
9. 2π * (04 /8) = 0 , 2π * (64 /8)
10. 2π * (1296/8) → 2π * 162 → 324π

➢ Tricky steps ​(Charlie)​: What tricks come up? What should you be looking for that can
change the procedure? Where are the common errors made?

To start this type of problem, you must determine whether you are changing ​dx ​or ​dy,
and also whether shell or disk is more appropriate for the problem. If an equation is
revolving around a vertical axis, then it’s ​dy ​for the disk method. If it’s revolving around
​ or the shell method, it’s opposite, so that revolving
a horizontal axis, then it’s ​dx. F
around a vertical axis makes a ​dx a ​ nd revolving around a horizontal axis makes a ​dy. ​You
can decide whether disk or shell works better based on whether you want to change ​x​ or
y​. This is helpful for when you have an equation like y = 3x^2 + 17x +113 (that you’re
doing as a disk) and you need to find ​x. ​Instead of doing the complicated work to arrange
 the equation, you can just set up the integral as a shell problem, and that will allow you
to use​ y​ instead of ​x.

The next step is determining the range. The range depends on whether you are using ​dx
or ​dy. I​ f it’s ​dy, ​then you’re finding the definite integral from the lowest to the highest
vertical point, and it’s horizontal if you’re using ​dx. T ​ he range only measures the limits of
the original equations, not the reflection made by the revolution.

The last tricky step is setting up the integral with accurate width and height. If an
equation is moved over/up/down, away from the x or y axis, you have to subtract the
equation from the number of it’s vertical/horizontal position. For example, in the graph
of y=x^2 +2 below, you would have to subtract the equation from 2. If the graph were
moved left or right, you would have to subtract ​x f​ rom the space it moved.

➢ Proof ​(Nate):​ Justify the methods (formal proof not needed). Give a logical
explanation for why this technique works - what it is doing and where the calculus is.

First you start by rotating your function over the x axis.

Then start to set it up by making infinitely thin cylinders around the y axis.

Those cylinders can be explained by then transferring them into a box, in which we can set up
the integral that will use 2πhr = v olume of cylinder and eventually be:

∫ 2π * f (x) * r * dx
In this, we can show that dx = the width, because it will become infinitely small to get the most
accurate result. Our F(x) can be expressed here as well with the equation of a cylinder. In that
equation R = x unless we are not rotating it around the pure y axis, and instead rotating around,
for example, x = 4, so now our R = 4-x