Suppose a sphere, cylinder, and cone all share the same radius. The cylinder and cone also share the same height, which is twice the radius. Which of the following is true about the relationship between the volume formulas for the sphere, cylinder, and cone?

1. cone = cylinder – sphere
2. cone = sphere – cylinder
3. cylinder = sphere – cone
4. sphere = cylinder + cone

1 answer

To analyze the relationship between the volumes of the sphere, cylinder, and cone, let’s first find the volume formulas for each of the shapes given their shared dimensions.

  1. Sphere The volume \( V_s \) of a sphere with radius \( r \) is given by: \[ V_s = \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 \]

  2. Cylinder The volume \( V_c \) of a cylinder with radius \( r \) and height \( h = 2r \) is given by: \[ V_c = \pi r^2 h = \pi r^2 (2r) = 2\pi r^3 \]

  3. Cone The volume \( V_{cone} \) of a cone with radius \( r \) and height \( h = 2r \) is given by: \[ V_{cone} = \frac{1}{3} \pi r^2 h = \frac{1}{3} \pi r^2 (2r) = \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \]

Now we have the volume formulas:

  • Volume of the sphere \( V_s = \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 \)
  • Volume of the cylinder \( V_c = 2 \pi r^3 \)
  • Volume of the cone \( V_{cone} = \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \)

Now we can compare the volumes to check the given relationships:

  1. Checking cone = cylinder - sphere: \[ \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \stackrel{?}{=} 2 \pi r^3 - \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 \] Simplifying the right side: \[ 2 \pi r^3 - \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 = \frac{6}{3} \pi r^3 - \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 = \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \] This is true.

  2. Checking cone = sphere - cylinder: \[ \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \stackrel{?}{=} \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 - 2 \pi r^3 \] Simplifying the right side: \[ \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 - 2 \pi r^3 = \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 - \frac{6}{3} \pi r^3 = -\frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \] This is false.

  3. Checking cylinder = sphere - cone: \[ 2 \pi r^3 \stackrel{?}{=} \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 - \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \] Simplifying the right side: \[ \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 - \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 = \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \] This is false.

  4. Checking sphere = cylinder + cone: \[ \frac{4}{3} \pi r^3 \stackrel{?}{=} 2 \pi r^3 + \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 \] Simplifying the right side: \[ 2 \pi r^3 + \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 = \frac{6}{3} \pi r^3 + \frac{2}{3} \pi r^3 = \frac{8}{3} \pi r^3 \] This is false.

From these calculations, we conclude that the only true relationship is:

1. cone = cylinder – sphere