I have a question about AP Calculus BC and the formulas

<p>Did you guys have to memorize all the volume formulas of geometric shapes? Because I have never learned them in any of my Math class before and I have memorize like 4 - 5 just today about volumes of cylinders, spheres, cones and such.</p>

<p>I know that you don’t need to know the volume formulas because the only volume formulas you should know are disk method and shell method. However, some volume formulas may be used in rates.</p>

<p>The only ones I were taught were the disk, donut and shell methods.</p>

<p>he means the volume of shapes like</p>

<p>v = 2pi * r^3</p>

<p>yes you have to know these.</p>

<p>In the vast majority of the cases, they’ll give you formulas for the basic volumes. I can’t think of a counterexample off-hand, but I know they had one about ten years back. It might have been before the format change between the 1997 and 1998 exams, though.</p>

<p>Most of the time, those questions want to know if you can do calculus with the appropriate formulas, rather than leaving you ineligible for so many of the points because you forget to square the r in the formula for the volume of the cone.</p>

<p>And as a side note in response to some of the replies, while you’re allowed to use the Shell Method on the AP Exam, none of the problems will require it. All the questions on the AP Exam can be done using the Disc/Washer Method.</p>

<p>You might need to know the formulas for related rates / optimization. I put together a related rates presentation for my class a couple of months ago, and I used former AP free-response questions for it. No geometric volume formulas were given. However, I don’t think you’ll need to know any besides a sphere, a right circular cylinder, and a right circular cone. (You should know the forumla for a rectangular prism, anyway.)</p>

<p>Shouldn’t you be able to derive these formulas through the techniques you’re required to know?</p>

<p>No I haven’t learned the Disk/Shell Method yet. I just finished Optimization, Derivatives and Limits. I am starting on Application of derivatives now.</p>