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Volumes of Revolution

12 practice questions with full worked solutions. Free, no account needed.

Problems & worked solutions

Problem #1554 International

Problem 1Shell Method

The region bounded by the graph of f(x)=x2f(x)=x^2, the OxOx axis, and the line x=2x=2 (for x[0,2]x\in[0,2]) is rotated about the OyOy axis. Using the shell method (V=2π02xf(x)dxV=2\pi\displaystyle\int_0^2 x f(x)\,dx), the volume of the resulting solid is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 4π4\pi
  2. B. 16π16\pi
  3. C. 8π8\pi✓ correct
  4. D. 32π5\dfrac{32\pi}{5}

We apply the shell method formula directly (rotation about OyOy): V=2π02xx2dx=2π02x3dx=2π[x44]02=2π4=8π.V = 2\pi\int_0^2 x\cdot x^2\,dx = 2\pi\int_0^2 x^3\,dx = 2\pi\left[\frac{x^4}{4}\right]_0^2 = 2\pi\cdot 4 = 8\pi.

Check: [x44]02=164=4\left[\frac{x^4}{4}\right]_0^2 = \frac{16}{4}=4, so V=2π4=8πV=2\pi\cdot4=8\pi ✓ (the option 4π4\pi appears if you drop the factor of 22 from the formula).

Problem #0573 International

Problem 2Volumes of Revolution

The volume generated by rotating f(x)=xf(x) = x on [0,3][0, 3] about the xx-axis is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 3π3\pi
  2. B. 6π6\pi
  3. C. 9π9\pi✓ correct
  4. D. 27π27\pi

V=π03x2dx=π273=9πV = \pi \int_0^3 x^2 \, dx = \pi \cdot \dfrac{27}{3} = 9\pi. (Equivalently, Vcone=13πr2h=13π93=9πV_{\text{cone}} = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi r^2 h = \dfrac{1}{3}\pi \cdot 9 \cdot 3 = 9\pi.)

Problem #0572 International

Problem 3Volumes of Revolution

The volume generated by rotating f(x)=2f(x) = 2 on [0,5][0, 5] about the xx-axis is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 5π5\pi
  2. B. 10π10\pi
  3. C. 20π20\pi✓ correct
  4. D. 40π40\pi

Cylinder of radius 22 and height 55: V=π45=20πV = \pi \cdot 4 \cdot 5 = 20\pi.

Problem #0571 International

Problem 4Volumes of Revolution

The volume of the solid generated by rotating f(x)0f(x) \ge 0 on [a,b][a, b] about the xx-axis is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. πabf(x)dx\pi \displaystyle\int_a^b f(x) \, dx
  2. B. abf(x)2dx\displaystyle\int_a^b f(x)^2 \, dx
  3. C. πab[f(x)]2dx\pi \displaystyle\int_a^b [f(x)]^2 \, dx✓ correct
  4. D. 2πabf(x)dx2\pi \displaystyle\int_a^b f(x) \, dx

V=πab[f(x)]2dxV = \pi \displaystyle\int_a^b [f(x)]^2 \, dx — the disk-method formula.

Problem #0578 International

Problem 5Volumes of Revolution

The volume generated by rotating f(x)=cosxf(x) = \cos x on [0,π/2][0, \pi/2] about the xx-axis is closest to:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. π2\dfrac{\pi}{2}
  2. B. π24\dfrac{\pi^2}{4}✓ correct
  3. C. π22\dfrac{\pi^2}{2}
  4. D. π\pi

V=π0π/2cos2xdx=π0π/21+cos2x2dx=π2 ⁣[x+sin2x2]0π/2=π2π2=π24V = \pi \int_0^{\pi/2} \cos^2 x \, dx = \pi \int_0^{\pi/2} \dfrac{1 + \cos 2x}{2} \, dx = \dfrac{\pi}{2}\!\left[x + \dfrac{\sin 2x}{2}\right]_0^{\pi/2} = \dfrac{\pi}{2} \cdot \dfrac{\pi}{2} = \dfrac{\pi^2}{4}.

Problem #0577 International

Problem 6Volumes of Revolution

The volume generated by rotating f(x)=exf(x) = e^x on [0,1][0, 1] about the xx-axis is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. π(e1)\pi(e - 1)
  2. B. πe\pi e
  3. C. π2(e21)\dfrac{\pi}{2}(e^2 - 1)✓ correct
  4. D. πe2\pi e^2

V=π01(ex)2dx=π01e2xdx=πe2x201=π2(e21)V = \pi \int_0^1 (e^x)^2 \, dx = \pi \int_0^1 e^{2x} \, dx = \pi \cdot \dfrac{e^{2x}}{2}\Big|_0^1 = \dfrac{\pi}{2}(e^2 - 1).

Problem #0574 International

Problem 7Volumes of Revolution

The volume generated by rotating f(x)=xf(x) = \sqrt{x} on [0,4][0, 4] about the xx-axis is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 4π4\pi
  2. B. 8π8\pi✓ correct
  3. C. 12π12\pi
  4. D. 16π16\pi

V=π04(x)2dx=π04xdx=π162=8πV = \pi \int_0^4 (\sqrt{x})^2 \, dx = \pi \int_0^4 x \, dx = \pi \cdot \dfrac{16}{2} = 8\pi.

Problem #0576 International

Problem 8Volumes of Revolution

The volume generated by rotating f(x)=x2f(x) = x^2 on [0,1][0, 1] about the xx-axis is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. π\pi
  2. B. π3\dfrac{\pi}{3}
  3. C. π5\dfrac{\pi}{5}✓ correct
  4. D. π7\dfrac{\pi}{7}

V=π01x4dx=π15=π5V = \pi \int_0^1 x^4 \, dx = \pi \cdot \dfrac{1}{5} = \dfrac{\pi}{5}.

Problem #0575 International

Problem 9Volumes of Revolution

Rotating f(x)=R2x2f(x) = \sqrt{R^2 - x^2} on [R,R][-R, R] about the xx-axis generates a:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. cone
  2. B. cylinder
  3. C. sphere of radius RR✓ correct
  4. D. ellipsoid

The graph is a semicircle; rotating about the xx-axis sweeps out a sphere of radius RR. (Volume =43πR3= \dfrac{4}{3}\pi R^3.)

Problem #0579 International

Problem 10Volumes of Revolution

The volume of the solid generated by rotating the region between y=xy = x and y=x2y = x^2 on [0,1][0, 1] about the xx-axis equals:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. π/30\pi/30
  2. B. π/15\pi/15
  3. C. 2π/152\pi/15✓ correct
  4. D. π/3\pi/3

V=π01(x2x4)dx=π ⁣[x33x55]01=π ⁣(1315)=2π15V = \pi \int_0^1 (x^2 - x^4) \, dx = \pi\!\left[\dfrac{x^3}{3} - \dfrac{x^5}{5}\right]_0^1 = \pi\!\left(\dfrac{1}{3} - \dfrac{1}{5}\right) = \dfrac{2\pi}{15}.

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