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Question

A ball is to be made with inner radius of 2 units and outside radius of 3 units. How much material is required to make the ball?

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2023 (Tier-II) Paper 1 Previous Year Paper (26-Oct-2023) (Shift-1)
The correct answer is \(\frac{76}{3}\)π

Calculating Material Needed for a Spherical Ball

This question asks us to determine the amount of material required to create a ball with a specific inner and outer radius. This shape is known as a spherical shell. To find the amount of material, we need to calculate the volume of this spherical shell.

A spherical shell is essentially a larger sphere with a smaller sphere removed from its center. Therefore, the volume of the material is the difference between the volume of the outer sphere and the volume of the inner sphere.

Understanding Sphere Volume

The formula for the volume of a sphere is:

\(V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3\)

where:

  • \(V\) is the volume of the sphere
  • \(\pi\) is a mathematical constant (approximately 3.14159)
  • \(r\) is the radius of the sphere

Calculating the Volume of the Outer Sphere

The problem states the outside radius of the ball is 3 units. Let's call this \(R\).

\(R = 3\) units

The volume of the outer sphere (\(V_{outer}\)) is:

\(V_{outer} = \frac{4}{3}\pi R^3 = \frac{4}{3}\pi (3^3)\)

\(V_{outer} = \frac{4}{3}\pi (27)\)

Calculating the Volume of the Inner Sphere

The problem states the inner radius of the ball is 2 units. Let's call this \(r\).

\(r = 2\) units

The volume of the inner sphere (\(V_{inner}\)) is:

\(V_{inner} = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3 = \frac{4}{3}\pi (2^3)\)

\(V_{inner} = \frac{4}{3}\pi (8)\)

Determining the Amount of Material

The amount of material required is the volume of the spherical shell, which is the volume of the outer sphere minus the volume of the inner sphere.

Amount of Material = \(V_{outer} - V_{inner}\)

Amount of Material = \(\frac{4}{3}\pi (27) - \frac{4}{3}\pi (8)\)

We can factor out \(\frac{4}{3}\pi\) from both terms:

Amount of Material = \(\frac{4}{3}\pi (27 - 8)\)

Amount of Material = \(\frac{4}{3}\pi (19)\)

Amount of Material = \(\frac{76}{3}\pi\)

So, the amount of material required to make the ball is \(\frac{76}{3}\pi\) cubic units.

Summary of Calculation Steps

Step Description Formula/Calculation
1 Identify radii Outer Radius (\(R\)) = 3, Inner Radius (\(r\)) = 2
2 Calculate outer sphere volume \(V_{outer} = \frac{4}{3}\pi R^3 = \frac{4}{3}\pi (3^3) = \frac{4}{3}\pi (27)\)
3 Calculate inner sphere volume \(V_{inner} = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3 = \frac{4}{3}\pi (2^3) = \frac{4}{3}\pi (8)\)
4 Subtract to find material volume \(V_{material} = V_{outer} - V_{inner} = \frac{4}{3}\pi (27) - \frac{4}{3}\pi (8) = \frac{4}{3}\pi (19) = \frac{76}{3}\pi\)

The calculated amount of material is \(\frac{76}{3}\pi\), which corresponds to one of the given options.

Revision Table: Key Concepts for Sphere Volume

Concept Description Formula
Sphere A perfectly round geometrical object in three-dimensional space that is the surface of a completely round ball. N/A
Radius (\(r\)) The distance from the center of a sphere to any point on its surface. N/A
Volume of a Sphere The amount of 3D space a sphere occupies. \(V = \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3\)
Spherical Shell The region between two concentric spheres of different radii. \(V_{shell} = V_{outer} - V_{inner} = \frac{4}{3}\pi (R^3 - r^3)\)

Additional Information: Applications of Sphere Volume Calculations

Calculating the volume of spheres and spherical shells has many practical applications in various fields:

  • Engineering: Determining the volume of tanks, pipes, or ball bearings.
  • Physics: Calculating the volume of celestial bodies or understanding fluid dynamics within spherical containers.
  • Manufacturing: Estimating the amount of raw material needed for producing spherical objects like ball bearings, cannonballs, or even some types of sports equipment.
  • Chemistry: Understanding the volume occupied by spherical molecules or particles.
  • Medicine: Estimating the volume of organs or tumors that can be approximated as spheres.

Understanding how to calculate the volume of a spherical shell is useful when dealing with hollow spherical objects, where the thickness of the wall is important for determining weight or material cost.

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Similar Questions

  1. The curved surface area and the volume of a cylindrical object are 88 cm 2and 132 cm 3, respectively. The height (in cm) of the cylindrical object is:

    (Take π =   \(\frac{{22}}{7}\) )

  2. The circumference of the base of a cylindrical vessel is 264 cm and its height is 50 cm. The capacity (in litres) of the vessel is:

    (Take π =  \(\frac{22}{7}\) )

  3. What will be the total cost (in Rs.) of polishing the curved surface of a wooden cylinder at rate of Rs. 50 per m 2, if its diameter is 70 cm and height is 6 m? (Take π =  \(\frac{22}{7}\) )

  4. A cylindrical tube, open at both ends, is made of a metal sheet which is 0.5 cm thick. Its outer radius is 4 cm and length is 2 m. How much metal (in cm 3) has been used in making the tube?

  5. The volume of a right circular cone is 308 cm 3 and the radius of its base is 7 cm. What is the curved surface area (in cm 2) of the cone? (Take π =  \(\frac{22}{7} \) )

  6. The slant height and radius of a right circular cone are in the ratio 29 ∶ 20. If its volume is 4838.4 π cm 3, then its radius is: 

  7. Six cubes, each of edge 2 cm, are joined end to end. What is the total surface area of the resulting cuboid in cm 2?

  8. The volume of a cone is 73920 cm3. If the height of the cone is 160 cm, then find the diameter of its base.

  9. The volume of a cone with height equal to radius, and slant height 5 cm is :

  10. How many metres of 2-m-wide cloth will be required to make a conical tent with a diameter of the base as 14 m and slant height as 9 m? (ignore wastage)


Important Questions from Solid Figures

  1. A cone and a hemisphere have equal bases and volumes. What is the ratio of the height of the cone to the radius of the hemisphere?

  2. A metallic solid cuboid of dimensions 36 cm × 18 cm × 12 cm is melted and recast in the form of cubes of side 6 cm. Find the number of cubes so formed.

  3. If the surface area of a sphere is 64 π cm 2, then the volume of the sphere is:

  4. Find the surface area of a sphere of diameter 21 cm. (Use π = \(\frac{{22}}{7}\) )

  5. A cube is 7 cm of an edge and another cube is 14 cm on an edge. The ratios of their surface areas are

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