Cylinders and Quadric Surfaces

Thomas Calculus Edition 11

Section 12.6
 Cylinder
A cylinder is a surface that is generated by moving a straight line along a given planar
curve while holding the line parallel to a given fixed line. The curve is called a generating
curve for the cylinder.
In solid geometry, where cylinder means circular cylinder, the generating curves are circles,
but now we allow generating curves of any kind.
The Parabolic Cylinder:
Find an equation for the cylinder made by the lines parallel to the z-axis that
pass through the parabola 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 , 𝑧 = 0.
𝑥 2 + 𝑦 2 =1
𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2 =1
Review of Conic Section
 Quadric Surfaces

We ignore all rotations and translations and only discuss standard surfaces. Then there
are six different possibilities.

To graph Quadric surface it is helpful to investigate its traces in the three planes.
Traces are the level curves of level zero in either planes.

To find 𝑥𝑦-trace we set 𝑧 = 0,

To find 𝑦𝑧-trace we set x = 0,
To find 𝑧𝑥-trace we set y = 0
 Quadric Surfaces
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
1. + + = 1; Ellipsoid
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
2. + − = 1; Hyperboloid of one sheet
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
3. − 𝑎2 − + = 1; Hyperboloid of two sheets
𝑏2 𝑐2
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
4. + = ; Elliptic Cone
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐2
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧
5. + 𝑏2 = 𝑐 ; Elliptic Paraboloid
𝑎2
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧
6. − = 𝑐; Hyperbolic Paraboloid
𝑎2 𝑏2
 Ellipsoid
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
+ + =1
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐 2

Characteristics:

1. All degree two terms are present.

2. All degree two terms are positive when equation is equal to 1.
3. All three traces are Ellipses.
 Hyperboloid of One Sheet
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
+ − =1
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐 2
Characteristics:
1. All degree two terms are present.
2. Two degree two terms are positive and one degree two term is negative when
equation is equal to 1.
3. One trace is an Ellipse.
4. Two traces are hyperbolas.
5. Axis is parallel to the negative variable.
 Cooling Towers
The hyperboloid cooling towers are often associated with nuclear power plants, although they
are also used to some extent in some large chemical and other industrial plants.

Natural draft wet cooling hyperboloid

towers at Didcot Power Station(UK)
Forced draft wet cooling towers (height: 34 meters) and
natural draft wet cooling tower (height: 122 meters)
in Westfalen, Germany.
 Hyperboloid of two sheets
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
− 2− 2+ 2=1
𝑎 𝑏 𝑐
Characteristics:

1. All degree two terms are present.

2. Two degree two terms are negative and one degree two term is positive when
equation is equal to 1.
3. One trace is an Ellipse.
4. Two traces are hyperbolas.
5. Axis is parallel to the positive variable.
 Elliptic Cone
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧2
+ =
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐 2
Characteristics:

1. All degree two terms are present.

2. Two degree two terms are positive and one degree two term is negative when
equation is equal to 0.
3. One trace is a point or an ellipse parallel to third plane.
4. Two traces are pair of straight lines
through origin.
1. Axis is parallel to the negative variable.
 Elliptic Paraboloid
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧
+ =
𝑎2 𝑏2 𝑐
Characteristics:

1. Two degree two terms are present.

2. One degree one term (other than degree two variables) is present.
3. One trace is an Ellipse.
4. Two traces are parabolas.
5. Axis is parallel to the degree one variable.
 Hyperbolic Paraboloid
𝑥2 𝑦2 𝑧
− =𝑐
𝑎2 𝑏2
Characteristics:
1. Two degree two terms are present.
2. One degree one term (other than degree two variables) is present.
3. One degree two term is positive and other degree two term is negative.
4. One trace is Hyperbola.
5. Two traces are parabolas.
6. Axis is parallel to the degree one variable.
 Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary
indoor Arena of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
 The roof of the building was designed to be a reverse hyperbolic paraboloid, allowing
for a pillar free view from all seats and reducing the interior volume by up to one-third
when compared to traditional arenas, resulting in reduced heating, lighting and
maintenance costs, plus the floating roof can flex to compensate for the city's
frequent temperature fluctuations.