Implicit surface area, sphere cut by two plane

In summary, the conversation discusses finding the area of a portion of a sphere cut by two planes. The integral is set up using the gradient of the equation and then solved using polar coordinates. The final formula for the area is \(2\pi{R}(\sqrt{R^2-a^2}-\sqrt{R^2-b^2})\). The conversation concludes with the confirmation that this formula is correct.
  • #1
skate_nerd
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Got a little problem here, just want to make sure what I'm doing is right because it's a little different from anything I've done that is using the same formula initially.
So there's a sphere denoted as \(\Omega\):
$$x^2+y^2+z^2=R^2$$
and its cut by two planes \(z=a\) & \(z=b\) where \(0\leq{a}\leq{b}\leq{R}\). I have to find the area of the portion of \(\Omega\) cut by those two planes.

So I got to setting up this integral. Not so bad...
$$\int\int_{\Omega}^{ }\frac{|\nabla{F}|}{|\nabla{F}\bullet{p}|}\,dA$$
where $$\nabla{F}=2x\hat{i}+2y\hat{j}+2z\hat{k}$$
so now $$|\nabla{F}|=\sqrt{4x^2+4y^2+4z^2}=2\sqrt{x^2+y^2+z^2}=2R$$
and then $$\nabla{F}\bullet{p}$$ where \(p=\hat{k}\) (normal to the surface)
$$=(2x\hat{i}+2y\hat{j}+2z\hat{k})\bullet{\hat{k}}=2z$$
so now the integral looks like $$\int\int_{\Omega}^{ }\frac{2R}{2z}\,dA=R\int\int_{\Omega}^{ }\frac{1}{z}\,dA$$
This is where my problem comes up...I don't really have anything I can do with z...I have the two planes \(z=a\) & \(z=b\) but then how would I find my bound of integration? I feel like polar coordinates would be optimal but even so, what would the inner \(dr\) bounds be? The two connecting circles are
$$x^2+y^2=R^2-a^2$$ and $$x^2+y^2=R^2-b^2$$
Would integrating this integrand I found over this two circles make sense for finding the area?
 
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  • #2
A little update, I made some progress but am still not sure if what I did would work correctly so if somebody could verify that would be nice.
So I used the given sphere \(x^2+y^2+z^2=R^2\) and solved for \(z\) getting \(z=\sqrt{R^2-(x^2+y^2)}\). Plugged this into the integrand I got above, and put it in polar coordinates, giving
$$R\int_{0}^{2\pi}\int_{a}^{b}\frac{r}{\sqrt{R^2-r^2}}\,drd\theta$$
I solved the inner integral using a u-substitution, and got
$$-\frac{R}{2}\int_{0}^{2\pi}2(\sqrt{R^2-b^2}-\sqrt{R^2-a^2})\,d\theta$$
and finally ended up with the formula for this area:
$$-2\pi{R}(\sqrt{R^2-b^2}-\sqrt{R^2-a^2})$$ which is equivalent to
$$2\pi{R}(\sqrt{R^2-a^2}-\sqrt{R^2-b^2})$$
And there is my best guess. Anybody up for some proof reading? (Rock)
 
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  • #3
Ugh. Consider this post solved (Wasntme). I made the bounds of integration of the dr integral \(\sqrt{R^2-a^2}\) to \(\sqrt{R^2-b^2}\) and got the answer \(2\pi{R}(b-a)\) which is what it should be.
Cool problem though. Ultimately is meant to show that this arbitrary portion of a sphere's area is always going to be equal to the portion cut by the same two planes out of the infinit cylinder \(x^2+y^2=R^2\). Worked out.
 

FAQ: Implicit surface area, sphere cut by two plane

What is implicit surface area?

Implicit surface area is a mathematical concept that refers to the total surface area of a three-dimensional object, without considering the individual faces or edges of the object.

How is implicit surface area calculated?

The implicit surface area of an object can be calculated using mathematical equations and algorithms that take into account the shape and dimensions of the object.

What is a sphere cut by two planes?

A sphere cut by two planes is a three-dimensional object that is formed when two planes intersect a spherical object, creating a curved surface with a specific shape and dimensions.

What is the significance of studying implicit surface area of a sphere cut by two planes?

Studying the implicit surface area of a sphere cut by two planes can help us understand the mathematical properties and relationships of curved surfaces and how they are affected by intersecting planes.

How can the implicit surface area of a sphere cut by two planes be applied in real life?

The concept of implicit surface area has applications in various fields, such as computer graphics, physics, and engineering. It can be used to calculate the surface area of complex three-dimensional objects and to aid in the design and analysis of structures and materials.

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