Shell Method Calculator

The shell method is used to determine the volume of a solid of revolution by envisioning it as a collection of cylindrical shells formed when a function is revolved around an axis. In my experience, teachers will need to break this down further. In laymens terms - when you take a flat shape (called a two-dimensional region) in a plane and spin it around a straight line (also in that plane), it forms a 3D shape known as a "solid of revolution". To find out the amount of space this 3D shape occupies (volume), we employ a calculus technique known as integration, specifically using what we call the shell method. A shell method calculator simplifies this process.. We build a calculator that then evaluates the integral for the sum of the volumes of these shells over the specified interval, providing the total volume of the solid, along with steps on how to solve the problem. We built this to show the answer but also to teach students how to show the steps of the shell method. Please reach out if you find any errors or we can make our shell method explanation clearer.

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