Sec. 8.

3 – Volumes
Consider a region in the first quadrant bounded y = f(x), the x-axis, the line x = a,
and the line x = b. Our goal is to find the volume when this region is rotated about
any horizontal or vertical line.

Rotating this region about the x-axis we can draw a rectangle from the x-axis to
the curve. If we revolve this rectangle about the x-axis, it produces a cylinder,
which has a volume V =  r 2 h . The radius of the cylinder produced is the length of
the rectangle, which is f(x). The height of the cylinder produced is the width of
the rectangle, which is Δx. So, the volume of the rotated rectangle would be:
V =  ( f ( x ) ) x
2

n
Adding together n of these cylinders would give us the sum   ( f ( c ) ) x .
2
k
k =1

Adding together an infinite number of these cylinders would give us the sum:
V = ( f ( x ))
b 2
dx
a

Example 1: Find the volume of the solid generated when the region bounded by
y = x2 , the x-axis, and the line x = 2 is rotated about the x-axis. (sketch on board)

V =   ( x 2 ) dx
2 2

20.106 units 3

Sometimes the axis of rotation is not one of the edges of the region. When this
happens, draw two rectangles, one that goes to the outer edge of the region to be
rotated, and one that goes to the inner edge of the region to be rotated. The total
volume will be the volume of the solid formed when the outer rectangle is revolved
minus the volume of the solid formed when the inner rectangle is revolved.
If the outer length is g(x) and the inner length is h(x), then the volume will be:

V =   ( g ( x ) ) − ( h ( x ) )  dx
b 2 2

a  
Example 2: (See board for sketches)
Find the volume of the solid generated when the region bounded by y = x2 , the x-
axis, and the line x = 2 is rotated about:
a) the line y = −2
V =   ( 2 + x 2 ) − ( 2 )  dx
2 2 2
0  
53.617 units 3
b) the line y = 4
V =   ( 4 ) − ( 4 − x 2 )  dx
2 2 2

0  
3
46.914 units

If we want to rotate the region about a vertical line, then we need to integrate
withe respect to y. So, we need to solve the equation for x so that we can express
the lengths of the rectangles in terms of y, and we need to change the limits of
integration to be in terms of y.

Example 3: (See board for sketches)

Using the same region as in example 2, find the volume of the solid generated when
the region is rotated about:
a) the y-axis.
First, solve the equation for x: x = y

V =   ( 2 ) − ( y )  dy
4 2 2

0 
25.133 units 3

b) x = −3

(
V =   ( 5 ) − 3 + y  dy )
4 2 2

0  
75.398 units 3

c) x = 2

(
V =  2− y ) − ( 0 )  dy
4 2 2
0  
8.378 units 3
Example 4: Find the volume of the solid, S, whose base is the region bounded
4− x
by the lines y = , x = 0 , and y = 0 , if the cross sections taken perpendicular
4
to the x-axis are semicircles.

Because the cross sections are semicircles perpendicular to the x-axis, the
area of each cross section should be expressed as a function of x. The
4− x
diameter of the semicircle is from the x-axis and a point on the line y = .
4

The area of a semicircle is:

1 2
A= r ,
2
4− x 4− x
where the diameter is: , so the radius is: (half the diameter)
4 8
Area of the cross section:
1 4− x
2

A(x ) =   
2  8 

 (4 − x )2
1
=
128
Volume of the solid:
1
V =  ( 4 − x ) dx
4 2

128
0

  (16 − 8 x + x 2 ) dx
1 4
=
128 0

= units 3
6