Question

A torus is formed by rotating a circle of radius r about a line in the plane of the circle that is a distance R (> r) from the center of the circle. Find the volume of the torus.

Answer 1

Consider a circle with radius $r$ centered at some point $(R+r,0)$ on the $x$-axis. This circle has equation

$(x-(R+r))^2+y^2=r^2$

Revolve the region bounded by this circle across the $y$-axis to get a torus. Using the shell method, the volume of the resulting torus is

$\displaystyle2\pi\int_R^{R+2r}2xy\,\mathrm dx$

where $2y=\sqrt{r^2-(x-(R+r))^2}-(-\sqrt{r^2-(x-(R+r))^2})=2\sqrt{r^2-(x-(R+r))^2}$.

So the volume is

$\displaystyle4\pi\int_R^{R+2r}x\sqrt{r^2-(x-(R+r))^2}\,\mathrm dx$

Substitute

$x-(R+r)=r\sin t\implies\mathrm dx=r\cos t\,\mathrm dt$

and the integral becomes

$\displaystyle4\pi r^2\int_{-\pi/2}^{\pi/2}(R+r+r\sin t)\cos^2t\,\mathrm dt$

Notice that $\sin t\cos^2t$ is an odd function, so the integral over $\left[-\frac\pi2,\frac\pi2\right]$ is 0. This leaves us with

$\displaystyle4\pi r^2(R+r)\int_{-\pi/2}^{\pi/2}\cos^2t\,\mathrm dt$

Write

$\cos^2t=\dfrac{1+\cos(2t)}2$

so the volume is

$\displaystyle2\pi r^2(R+r)\int_{-\pi/2}^{\pi/2}(1+\cos(2t))\,\mathrm dt=\boxed{2\pi^2r^2(R+r)}$