Volume of solid of rotation – can you always get same answer using shell or disk-washer

calculus

The question is to find the volume of revolution of the region bonded by $x=0$ and $y=10$ and $y=8$ and $xy=8$ when rotated about the $x$ axis.

Using the Shell method is almost trivial:

$V=2 \pi \int y (8/y)dy $ with bounds from $8$ to $10$. The y variables cancel and the answer is $32 \pi$.

I'm having difficulty doing this with the disk-washer method.

Is it always possible to achieve the correct answer using both methods?

Best Answer

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For disk method, you are considering radius along $y$ axis and that is not defined by the same curves throughout $8 \leq y \leq 10$.

$xy = 8 \implies x = 1 $ when $y = 8$.

$xy = 8 \implies x = \frac{8}{10} $ when $y = 10$.

For $0 \leq x \leq \frac{4}{5}$, the radius of revolution is defined by lines $y = 8$ and $y = 10$.

For $\frac{4}{5} \leq x \leq 1$, the radius of revolution has lower bound of $y = 8$ and upper bound of $y = \frac{8}{x}$ which is hyperbola curve.

So volume of revolution using disk method,

$\displaystyle \int_0^{4/5} \int_8^{10} 2\pi r \ dr \ dx + \int_{4/5}^{1} \int_8^{8/x} 2\pi r \ dr \ dx$

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