15.

3 Volumes of Spheres

How can you find the volume of a sphere?

A sphere is the set of all points in space that are the

radius, r
same distance from a point called the center. The
radius r is the distance from the center to any point
center
on the sphere.
A sphere is different from the other solids you have
studied so far because it does not have a base. To
discover the volume of a sphere, you can use an
activity similar to the one in the previous section.

1 ACTIVITY: Exploring the Volume of a Sphere

Work with a partner. Use a plastic ball similar to
the one shown.
● Estimate the diameter and the radius of the ball.

● Use these measurements to draw a net for a

cylinder with a diameter and a height equal to the
diameter of the ball. How is the height h of the
cylinder related to the radius r of the ball? Explain.

● Cut out the net. Then fold and tape it to form an

open cylinder. Make two marks on the cylinder
that divide it into thirds, as shown.
Geometry
In this lesson, you will
● find the volumes

of spheres.
● find the radii of spheres
● Cover the ball with aluminum foil or tape.
given the volumes.
● solve real-life problems.
Leave one hole open. Fill the ball with rice.
Then pour the rice into the cylinder.
What fraction of the cylinder is filled
with rice?

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 2 ACTIVITY: Deriving the Formula for the Volume of a Sphere
Work with a partner. Use the results from Activity 1 and the formula for the
Math volume of a cylinder to complete the steps.
Practice V = π r 2h Write formula for volume of a cylinder.
Analyze
Relationships
= — π r 2h Multiply by — because the volume of a sphere
What is the
relationship
between the
volume of a sphere is — of the volume of the cylinder.
and the volume of
a cylinder? How
does this help you = — πr 2 Substitute for h.
derive a formula for
the volume of
a sphere?
=—π Simplify.

3 ACTIVITY: Deriving the Formula for the Volume of a Sphere

Work with a partner. Imagine filling the inside of a sphere with n small
pyramids. The vertex of each pyramid is at the center of the sphere.
The height of each pyramid is approximately equal to r, as shown.
Complete the steps. (The surface area of a sphere is equal to 4𝛑 r 2.)
1
V = — Bh Write formula for volume of a pyramid.
3
1 Multiply by the number of small
= n —B
3 pyramids n and substitute for h.

⋅
1
= — ( 4πr 2 ) 4π r 2 ≈ n
3
r
Show how this result is equal to the result in Activity 2.
area of base, B

4. IN YOUR OWN WORDS How can you find the volume

of a sphere?
5. Describe the intersection of the plane and the sphere.
Then explain how to find the volume of each section
of the solid.

Use what you learned about the volumes of spheres to complete

Exercises 3 – 5 on page 690.

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 15.3 Lesson
Lesson Tutorials

Key Vocabulary
sphere, p. 686
hemisphere, p. 689 Volume of a Sphere
Words The volume V of a sphere is the radius, r
4
product of — π and the cube of
3
the radius of the sphere.
4
Algebra V = — π r3
3
Cube of radius of sphere

EXAMPLE 1 Finding the Volume of a Sphere

Find the volume of the sphere. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
4
V = — πr 3 Write formula for volume.
3
4
= — π (4)3 Substitute 4 for r.
4 cm 3
256
= —π Simplify.
3
≈ 268.1 Use a calculator.

The volume is about 268.1 cubic centimeters.

EXAMPLE 2 Finding the Radius of a Sphere

Find the radius of the sphere. Volume â 288 Ĭ in.3
4
V = — πr 3 Write formula.
3
4
288π = — π r 3 Substitute. r
3
4π
288π = — r 3 Multiply.
3
3
⋅ 3 4π 3
— 288π = — —r
4π 4π 3 ⋅ Multiplication Property of Equality

216 = r 3 Simplify.
6=r Take the cube root of each side.

The radius is 6 inches.

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 Find the volume V or radius r of the sphere. Round your answer
Exercises 3–11 to the nearest tenth, if necessary.
1. 2.
râ

16 ft

VƼ Volume â 36 Ĭ m3

EXAMPLE 3 Finding the Volume of a Composite Solid

A hemisphere is one-half of a sphere. The top of the silo is a
hemisphere with a radius of 12 feet. What is the volume of the silo?
Round your answer to the nearest thousand.
52 ft The silo is made up of a cylinder and a hemisphere. Find the volume
of each solid.
Cylinder Hemisphere

12 ft

40 ft 12 ft

Study Tip
In Example 3, the
height of the cylindrical
part of the silo is the
V = Bh ⋅
1 4
V = — —π r 3
2 3
difference of the silo
height and the radius = π(12)2(40) ⋅
1 4
= — —π (12)3
2 3
of the hemisphere.
52 − 12 = 40 ft = 5760π = 1152π

So, the volume is 5760π + 1152π = 6912π ≈ 22,000 cubic feet.

Find the volume of the composite solid. Round your answer to

Exercises 14–16 the nearest tenth.
3. 2 in. 4. 9m 3m

5m

8 in.

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 15.3 Exercises
Help with Homework

1. VOCABULARY How is a sphere different from a hemisphere?

2. WHICH ONE DOESN’T BELONG? Which figure does not belong with the other
three? Explain your reasoning.

6)=3
9+(- 3)=
3+(- 9)=
4+(- =
1)
9+(-

Find the volume of the sphere. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
1 3. 4. 5.

5 in. 7 ft 18 mm

6. 7. 8.

12 yd 3 cm 28 m

Find the radius of the sphere with the given volume.

2 9. Volume = 972π mm3 10. Volume = 4.5π cm3 11. Volume = 121.5π ft3

12. GLOBE The globe of the Moon has a radius of

10 inches. Find the volume of the globe. Round
your answer to the nearest whole number.

13. SOFTBALL A softball has a volume

125
of — π cubic inches. Find the
6
radius of the softball.

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ter 15 Volume and Similar Solids

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 Find the volume of the composite solid. Round your answer to the nearest tenth.
3 14. 15. 6 ft 16. 6 in.
16 ft

8 cm 4 ft 11 in.

8 cm
8 cm

17. REASONING A sphere and a right cylinder have the same radius and
volume. Find the radius r in terms of the height h of the cylinder.

18. PACKAGING A cylindrical container of three rubber balls has a height

of 18 centimeters and a diameter of 6 centimeters. Each ball in the
container has a radius of 3 centimeters. Find the amount of space in
the container that is not occupied by rubber balls. Round your answer
to the nearest whole number.

19. BASKETBALL The basketball shown is packaged

in a box that is in the shape of a cube. The edge
length of the box is equal to the diameter of
the basketball. What is the surface area and the
volume of the box?
Volume â 4500 Ĭ in.3

20. Logic Your friend says that the volume of a sphere with radius r is four
times the volume of a cone with radius r. When is this true? Justify your answer.

The blue figure is a dilation of the red figure. Identify the type of dilation and
find the scale factor. (Section 11.7)
21. y Cł 22. B y C
6
5
Bł Cł
4 1
3
C
Ź4 Ź3 1 3 4 5 x
2
Ał Bł Ał Dł
1 Ź2
A B
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x A D

23. MULTIPLE CHOICE A person who is 5 feet tall casts a 6-foot-long shadow.
A nearby flagpole casts a 30-foot-long shadow. What is the height of the
flagpole? (Section 12.4)
A 25 ft
○ B 29 ft
○ C 36 ft
○ D 40 ft
○

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