Triple Integral To Find Volume Between Cylinder And Sphere

  • #1
flyusx
43
1
Homework Statement
Express in rectangular, spherical and cylindrical coordinates a triple integral returning the volume of a sphere $$x^2+y^2+z^2=36$$ that is outside a cylinder $$x^2+y^2=9$$.
Relevant Equations
I use the physics convention here with spherical $$(r,\theta,\phi)$$ and cylindrical $$(\rho,\phi,z)$$. In cylindrical coordinates, $$\rho^2=x^2+y^2$$.
I got the two relations for spherical and rectangular coordinates. In rectangular:
$$\int_{-6}^{6}\int_{-\sqrt{36-x^{2}}}^{\sqrt{36-x^{2}}}\int_{-\sqrt{36-x^{2}-y^{2}}}^{\sqrt{36-x^2-y^2}}\text{d}z\text{d}y\text{d}x-\int_{-3}^{3}\int_{-\sqrt{9-x^{2}}}^{\sqrt{9-x^{2}}}\int_{-\sqrt{36-x^{2}-y^{2}}}^{\sqrt{36-x^2-y^2}}\text{d}z\text{d}y\text{d}x$$
In spherical:
$$\int_{0}^{2\pi}\int_{\frac{\pi}{6}}^{\frac{5\pi}{6}}\int_{3\csc(\theta)}^{6}r^{2}\sin(\theta)\text{d}r\text{d}\theta\text{d}\phi$$
I'm having trouble with cylindrical. The φ bounds are $$0\leq\phi\leq2\pi$$. The z bounds are already given in the rectangular system and can be converted to ρ by the relation given in relevant equations. The inner ρ bound is 3 because the cylinder is a distance 3 away from the z-axis. We have:
$$\int_{0}^{2\pi}\int_{3}^{?}\int_{-\sqrt{36-\rho^2}}^{\sqrt{36-\rho^2}}\rho\text{d}z\text{d}\rho\text{d}\phi$$
The proper solution is for the outer ρ bound to be six (the integrals resolve to the same number). I see this as coming from the maximum possible distance between the z-axis and the bound of the sphere (specifically when z=0)$. What I don't get is that since the outer boundary is the sphere, shouldn't the outer bound be written as $$\rho^{2}+z^{2}=36$$
And then solve for ρ? This must be wrong because this wouldn't allow the integral to be resolved to a number, but I can' see where I went wrong conceptually.

Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2
I don't think you're using cylindrical coordinates correctly. They are the 3-dimensional counterpart of polar coordinates, with the coordinates being ##z, r,## and ##\theta##. The latter is the angle formed by rays in the x-y plane, while ##\phi## is the angle relative to the z-axis.

Also, it might be simpler to exploit the symmetry of your problem. Everything is symmetric about the z-axis, so you could integrate from 0 to ##\frac \pi 2## and multiply that result by 4.
 
  • #3
flyusx said:
Homework Statement: Express in rectangular, spherical and cylindrical coordinates a triple integral returning the volume of a sphere $$x^2+y^2+z^2=36$$ that is outside a cylinder $$x^2+y^2=9$$.
Relevant Equations: I use the physics convention here with spherical $$(r,\theta,\phi)$$ and cylindrical $$(\rho,\phi,z)$$. In cylindrical coordinates, $$\rho^2=x^2+y^2$$.

What I don't get is that since the outer boundary is the sphere, shouldn't the outer bound be written as ρ2+z2=36
And then solve for ρ? This must be wrong because this wouldn't allow the integral to be resolved to a number, but I can' see where I went wrong conceptually.
You are already using that relationship for z. Now you need to find the maximal value of ##\rho## regardless of the value of z. I must say I am surprised that it causes you issues as it is completely analogous to what you did in the case of Cartesian coordinates when you found the bounds for x.
 

FAQ: Triple Integral To Find Volume Between Cylinder And Sphere

What is a triple integral and how is it used to find volume?

A triple integral is a mathematical operation used to compute the volume of a three-dimensional region. It is represented as ∫∫∫ f(x, y, z) dV, where f(x, y, z) is a function defined over a volume V. To find the volume between a cylinder and a sphere, the triple integral is set up with appropriate limits that describe the region bounded by these two surfaces.

How do you set up the limits of integration for a triple integral involving a cylinder and a sphere?

The limits of integration depend on the geometry of the cylinder and sphere. Typically, cylindrical coordinates are used when dealing with a cylinder, where x = r cos(θ), y = r sin(θ), and z = z. The limits for r are determined by the radius of the cylinder, θ ranges from 0 to 2π, and z limits are defined by the intersection of the cylinder and sphere equations.

What are the equations for a cylinder and a sphere?

The standard equation for a cylinder oriented along the z-axis is x² + y² = r², where r is the radius of the cylinder. The standard equation for a sphere centered at the origin is x² + y² + z² = R², where R is the radius of the sphere. These equations help define the region of integration for the triple integral.

Can you provide an example of a triple integral to find the volume between a cylinder and a sphere?

Sure! For a cylinder of radius r and a sphere of radius R, the volume V can be found using the triple integral: V = ∫(θ=0 to 2π) ∫(r=0 to r) ∫(z=-(R² - r²)^(1/2) to (R² - r²)^(1/2)) r dz dr dθ. This integral calculates the volume of the region inside the sphere and outside the cylinder.

What software tools can help with computing triple integrals?

Several software tools can assist in computing triple integrals, including Mathematica, MATLAB, Python (with libraries like SciPy), and online integral calculators. These tools can handle symbolic and numerical integration, making it easier to evaluate complex integrals that arise in problems involving volumes between surfaces.

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