Area and Volume Revisited — Question 9

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Question 9

Find the volume of the ellipsoidal shell 1≤x24+y29+z216≤4.1\le \frac{x^2}{4}+\frac{y^2}{9}+\frac{z^2}{16}\le 4. Use the change of variables x=2u,y=3v,z=4w.x=2u,\qquad y=3v,\qquad z=4w.

Tasks

  1. Describe the transformed shell.

  2. Compute the three-dimensional Jacobian and the volume.

  3. Check the scaling factor geometrically.

Original worksheet page 1: question and worked solution for 4-10-009
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Question 9 – Solution

Strategy. The coordinate scaling turns the ellipsoids into concentric spheres and multiplies every volume by a constant Jacobian.

Step 1: Transform the shell

See the diagram in the original worksheet below.

The inequality becomes 1≤u2+v2+w2≤4,1\le u^2+v^2+w^2\le 4, so the transformed region is the spherical shell 1≤ρ≤21\le\rho\le 2.

Step 2: Jacobian and volume The derivative matrix is diagonal, so |∂(x,y,z)∂(u,v,w)|=|(2)(3)(4)|=24.\left|\frac{\partial(x,y,z)}{\partial(u,v,w)}\right| =|(2)(3)(4)|=24. Consequently, V=24[4π3(23−13)]=24(28π3)=224π.\begin{align*} V&=24\left[\frac{4\pi}{3}(2^3-1^3)\right] =24\left(\frac{28\pi}{3}\right) =\boxed{224\pi}. \end{align*}

Verification The map stretches lengths by factors 22, 33, and 44 along the coordinate axes, so it must stretch volume by their product 2424, exactly the Jacobian used above.

Original worksheet page 2: question and worked solution for 4-10-009

Original worksheet layout. Use Enlarge or open the PDF for a closer view.