- #1
Ahlahn
- 4
- 0
Finding the volume of a cone with a elliptic base!
The area of an ellipse is (pi)ab, where a and b are the lengths of the semimajor and semiminor axes. Compute the volume of a cone of height h = 20 whose base is an ellipse with semimajor and semiminor axes a = 4 and b = 6.
I tried to use the law of similar triangles to obtain the area of the elliptic at the cross section.
4/20 = a/20-y and 6/20 = b/20-y
b=6(20-y)/20 and a = 4(20-y)/20
Since the area of an elliptic is (pi)a*b, I tried to integrate by plugging in the above equations for a and b on the interval [0,20]. I failed.
HELP!
Homework Statement
The area of an ellipse is (pi)ab, where a and b are the lengths of the semimajor and semiminor axes. Compute the volume of a cone of height h = 20 whose base is an ellipse with semimajor and semiminor axes a = 4 and b = 6.
Homework Equations
The Attempt at a Solution
I tried to use the law of similar triangles to obtain the area of the elliptic at the cross section.
4/20 = a/20-y and 6/20 = b/20-y
b=6(20-y)/20 and a = 4(20-y)/20
Since the area of an elliptic is (pi)a*b, I tried to integrate by plugging in the above equations for a and b on the interval [0,20]. I failed.
HELP!