Math 181 Lecture sheets

Week 3 Lecture Sheet

6.3 Volumes by Slicing

6.3 Part 1: Volumes by Slicing

The method, called slicing, is the idea of slicing the object into slices, similar to slicing a
vegetable or loaf of bread. Let’s say we slice our object into n slices that are ∆x centimeters
thick, where x tells us how far along the object we are slicing. The area of the slice could be
different, depending on where the slice is, so let’s say the location of the slice is given by a
function A(x).

The total volume of each slice can then be approximated as A(x) · ∆x, so the object’s
volume can be approximated by the sum of all volumes of the n slices. This is a Riemann sum!
That is, we can better approximate the actual volume by taking more slices for x between a
and b. As we take n → ∞, what will we end up with?
Z b
Volume = A(x)dx
a

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Step 1: Finding the Slices

Exercise 2.
What are all the different shapes you can get from slices of a square pyramid? (Picture below) Can you get a square? Can you get a
triangle? Can you get more? Remember: Draw the slices!

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Step 2: Finding the Area of the Slices Final Step: Evaluating the Integral
Exercise 3. Exercise 4.
A sphere of radius 5 is centered at the origin and a slice of that Using your answer from the previous problem, set up the integral
sphere is made perpendicular to the x-axis. that represents the volume of a sphere of radius 5. Once you set
1. What is the area of a slice at x = 3? up that integral, calculate it.

2. What is the area of a slice at a general x-value? (Your

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Exercise 5. Exercise 6.
Consider a solid whose base √ is the region in the first quadrant Consider a solid whose base is again
√ the region in the first quad-
bounded by the curve y = 3 − x. The cross sections through rant bounded by the curve y = 3 − x. This time, however,
this solid are perpendicular to the x-axis and are squares. Set up slices through this solid that are perpendicular to the y-axis are
the integral of the volume of this solid. semi-circles. Set up the integral of the volume of this solid.

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6.3 Part 2: Solids of Revolution

Solids of Revolution Volumes of Solids of Revolution

A Solid of Revolution is when we take a 2-dimensional re- When the region we’re rotating touches the axis of of rota-
gion and rotate it around a line. We call the line the ”Axis of tion, we can compute the volume of our solid using the Disk
Rotation.” Method. Its formula is given by:
Z b
π(radius)2 dx
a

When the region we’re rotating does not touch the axis of of
rotation, we can calculate the volume of our solid using the
Washer Method. Its formula is given by:
Z b
[π(outside radius)2 − π(inside radius)2 ] dx
a

For example, we can set up the integral for the image to the
left. Here we see the axis of rotation is the x-axis, and we
would use the washer method as our region R does not touch
the x-axis: Z b
[π(f (x))2 − π(g(x))2 ] dx
a

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Exercise 7.

Let R be the region bounded by the curve y = 4 − x2 and (c) Set up the integral of the volume of the solid gotten by
the x-axis. (a) Sketch the region. rotating the region about the line y = −1.

(b) Set up the integral of the volume of the solid gotten by (d) Set up the integral of the volume of the solid gotten by
rotating the region about the x-axis. rotating the region about the line y = 4.

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Exercise 8.
√
Let the region R be the region bounded by the graphs of f (x) = x and g(x) = x3 between x = 0 and x = 1. Set up the integral for
the volume of the solid resulting from revolving R around the y-axis.

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6.5 Length of Curves

Arc Length and its Formula

If f is a continuous and differentiable function on the interval [a, b], then the arc length of f on [a, b] is given by the formula:

Z bq
Arc Length = 1 + (f ′ (x))2 dx
a

Exercise 9.
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Find the arc length of y = (x2 + 2)3/2 from x = 0 to x = 3.
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