Volumes by Cylindrical Shells: Wednesday, March 17, 2010

APPLICATIONS OF INTEGRATION
6.3
Volumes by
Cylindrical Shells
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
In this section, we will learn:
How to apply the method of cylindrical shells
to find out the volume of a solid.
VOLUMES BY CYLINDRICAL SHELLS
Some volume problems are very

difficult to handle by the methods
discussed in Section 6.2
Let’s consider the problem of finding the

volume of the solid obtained by rotating about
the y-axis the region bounded by y = 2x2 - x3
and y = 0.
If we slice perpendicular to the y-axis,

we get a washer.
 However, to compute the inner radius and the outer

radius of the washer,
we would have to
solve the cubic
equation y = 2x2 - x3
for x in terms of y.
 That’s not easy.

Fortunately, there is a method—the

method of cylindrical shells—that is
easier to use in such a case.
CYLINDRICAL SHELLS METHOD
The figure shows a cylindrical shell

with inner radius r1, outer radius r2,
and height h.
Its volume V is calculated by subtracting

the volume V1 of the inner cylinder from
the volume of the outer cylinder V2 .
Thus, we have:
V  V2  V1
  r2 h   r h
2
1
2
  (r2  r )h
2
1
2
  (r2  r1 )(r2  r1 )h
r2  r1
 2 h(r2  r1 )
2
CYLINDRICAL SHELLS METHOD Formula 1
Let ∆r = r2 – r1 (thickness of the shell) and

r  12  r2  r1  (average radius of the shell).
Then, this formula for the volume of a

cylindrical shell becomes:
V  2 rhr
V  2 rhr
The equation can be remembered as:
V = [circumference] [height] [thickness]

Now, let S be the solid

obtained by rotating
about the y-axis the
region bounded by
y = f(x) [where f(x) ≥ 0],
y = 0, x = a and x = b,
where b > a ≥ 0.
Divide the interval [a, b] into n subintervals

[xi - 1, xi ] of equal width xi and let be x
the midpoint of the i th subinterval.
The rectangle with

base [xi - 1, xi ] and
height f ( xi ) is rotated
about the y-axis.
 The result is a
cylindrical shell with
average radius xi ,
height f ( xi ) , and
thickness ∆x.
Thus, by Formula 1, its volume is

calculated as follows:
Vi  (2 xi )[ f ( xi )]x
So, an approximation to the volume V of S

is given by the sum of the volumes of
these shells:
n n
V  Vi   2 xi f ( xi )x
i 1 i 1
The approximation appears to become better

as n →∞.
However, from the definition of an integral,

we know that:
n
lim  2 xi f ( xi )x   2 x f ( x)dx
b
n  a
i 1
CYLINDRICAL SHELLS METHOD Formula 2
Thus, the following appears plausible.
 The volume of the solid obtained by rotating

about the y-axis the region under the curve
y = f(x) from a to b, is:
b
V   2 xf ( x)dx
a
where 0 ≤ a < b
Here’s the best way to remember

the formula.
 Think of a typical shell,
cut and flattened,
with radius x,
circumference 2πx,
height f(x), and
thickness ∆x or dx:
  2 x   f ( x)
b
dx
a
circumference height thickness
CYLINDRICAL SHELLS METHOD Example 1
Find the volume of the solid obtained by

rotating about the y-axis the region
bounded by y = 2x2 - x3 and y = 0.
We see that a typical shell has

radius x, circumference 2πx, and
height f(x) = 2x2 - x3.
So, by the shell method,

the volume is:
V    2 x   2 x  x dx
2
2 3
0
   2 x  (2 x  x )dx
2
3 4
0
5 2
 2  x  x 
1
2
4 1
5 0
 2  8  325   165 
It can be verified that the shell method

gives the same answer as slicing.
 The figure shows

a computer-generated
picture of the solid
whose volume we
computed in the
example.
NOTE
Comparing the solution of Example 1 with

the remarks at the beginning of the section,
we see that the cylindrical shells method
is much easier than the washer method
for the problem.
 We did not have to find the coordinates of the local

maximum.
 We did not have to solve the equation of the curve
for x in terms of y.
NOTE
However, in other examples,

the methods learned in Section 6.2
may be easier.
Find the volume of the solid obtained

by rotating about the y-axis the region
between y = x and y = x2.
The region and a typical shell

are shown here.
 We see that the shell has radius x, circumference 2πx,
and height x - x2.
Thus, the volume of the solid is:
V    2 x   x  x 2 dx
1
 2   x  x dx
1
2 3
0
1
x x  
3 4
 2    
 3 4 0 6
As the following example shows,

the shell method works just as well
if we rotate about the x-axis.
 We simply have to draw a diagram to identify

the radius and height of a shell.
Use cylindrical shells to find the volume of

the solid obtained by rotating about the x-axis
the region under the curve y  x from 0 to 1.
 This problem was solved using disks in Example 2

in Section 6.2
To use shells, we relabel the curve

y  x as x = y2.
 For rotation about

the x-axis, we see that
a typical shell has
radius y, circumference
2πy, and height 1 - y2.
So, the volume is:

V    2 y  1  y 2 dy
1
0
1
 2  ( y  y )dy
3
0
1
y y  2 4
 2    
2 4 0 2
 In this problem, the disk method was simpler.

Find the volume of the solid obtained by

rotating the region bounded by y = x - x2
and y = 0 about the line x = 2.
The figures show the region and a cylindrical

shell formed by rotation about the line x = 2,
which has radius 2 - x, circumference
2π(2 - x), and height x - x2.
So, the volume of the solid is:
V   2  2  x   x  x  dx
0
2
1
 2   x  3x  2 x  dx
0
3 2
1
1
x 4
2 
 2   x  x  
3
4 0 2

Volumes by Cylindrical Shells: Wednesday, March 17, 2010

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APPLICATIONS OF INTEGRATION

Some volume problems are very

Let’s consider the problem of finding the

If we slice perpendicular to the y-axis,

 However, to compute the inner radius and the outer

 That’s not easy.

Fortunately, there is a method—the

The figure shows a cylindrical shell

Its volume V is calculated by subtracting

Let ∆r = r2 – r1 (thickness of the shell) and

Then, this formula for the volume of a

The equation can be remembered as:

V = [circumference] [height] [thickness]

Now, let S be the solid

Divide the interval [a, b] into n subintervals

The rectangle with

Thus, by Formula 1, its volume is

So, an approximation to the volume V of S

The approximation appears to become better

However, from the definition of an integral,

Thus, the following appears plausible.

 The volume of the solid obtained by rotating

Here’s the best way to remember

Find the volume of the solid obtained by

We see that a typical shell has

So, by the shell method,

It can be verified that the shell method

 The figure shows

Comparing the solution of Example 1 with

 We did not have to find the coordinates of the local

However, in other examples,

Find the volume of the solid obtained

The region and a typical shell

Thus, the volume of the solid is:

As the following example shows,

 We simply have to draw a diagram to identify

Use cylindrical shells to find the volume of

 This problem was solved using disks in Example 2

To use shells, we relabel the curve

 For rotation about

So, the volume is:

 In this problem, the disk method was simpler.

Find the volume of the solid obtained by

The figures show the region and a cylindrical

So, the volume of the solid is:

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