Learning Objectives
- Evaluate a triple integral by changing to cylindrical coordinates.
Review of Cylindrical Coordinates
As we have seen earlier, in two-dimensional space R2R2, a point with rectangular coordinates (x,y)(x,y) can be identified with (r,θ)(r,θ) in polar coordinates and vice versa, where x=rcosθ,y=rsinθ,r=x2+y2x=rcosθ,y=rsinθ,r=x2+y2 and tanθ=(yx)tanθ=(yx) are the relationships between the variables.
In three-dimensional space R3R3, a point with rectangular coordinates (x,y,z)(x,y,z) can be identified with cylindrical coordinates (r,θ,z)(r,θ,z) and vice versa. We can use these same conversion relationships, adding zz as the vertical distance to the point from the xyxy-plane as shown in the following figure.
![A box [latex]E[/latex] where the projection [latex]D[/latex] in the [latex]xy[/latex]-plane is of Type I.](https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images/wp-content/uploads/sites/5667/2021/11/26172826/5-5-1.jpeg)
Figure 1. Cylindrical coordinates are similar to polar coordinates with a vertical zz coordinate added.
To convert from rectangular to cylindrical coordinates, we use the conversion x=rcosθx=rcosθ and y=rsinθy=rsinθ. To convert from cylindrical to rectangular coordinates, we use r2=x2+y2r2=x2+y2 and θ=tan−1(yx)θ=tan−1(yx) (noting that we may need to add ππ to arrive at the appropriate quadrant). The zz-coordinate remains the same in both cases.
In the two-dimensional plane with a rectangular coordinate system, when we say x=kx=k (constant) we mean an unbounded vertical line parallel to the yy-axis and when y=ly=l (constant) we mean an unbounded horizontal line parallel to the xx-axis. With the polar coordinate system, when we say r=cr=c (constant), we mean a circle of radius cc units and when θ=αθ=α (constant) we mean an infinite ray making an angle αα with the positive xx-axis.
Similarly, in three-dimensional space with rectangular coordinates (x,y,z)(x,y,z), the equations x=kx=k, y=ly=l, and z=mz=m, where kk, ll, and mm are constants, represent unbounded planes parallel to the yzyz-plane, xzxz-plane and xyxy-plane, respectively. With cylindrical coordinates (r,θ,z)(r,θ,z) by r=c,θ=α,r=c,θ=α, and z=mz=m, where c,α,c,α, and mm are constants, we mean an unbounded vertical cylinder with the zz-axis as its radial axis; a plane making a constant angle αα with the xyxy-plane; and an unbounded horizontal plane parallel to the xyxy-plane, respectively. This means that the circular cylinder x2+y2=c2x2+y2=c2 in rectangular coordinates can be represented simply as r=cr=c in cylindrical coordinates. (Refer to Cylindrical and Spherical Coordinates for more review.)
Integration in Cylindrical Coordinates
Triple integrals can often be more readily evaluated by using cylindrical coordinates instead of rectangular coordinates. Some common equations of surfaces in rectangular coordinates along with corresponding equations in cylindrical coordinates are listed in Table 5.1. These equations will become handy as we proceed with solving problems using triple integrals.
Circular cylinder | Circular cone | Sphere | Paraboloid | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rectangular | x2+y2=c2x2+y2=c2 | z2=c2(x2+y2) | x2+y2+z2=c2 | z=c(x2+y2) |
Cylindrical | r=c | z=cr | r2+z2=c2 | z=cr2 |
Table 5.1 Equations of Some Common Shapes
As before, we start with the simplest bounded region B in R3, to describe in cylindrical coordinates, in the form of a cylindrical box, B={(r,θ,z)∣a ≤ r ≤ b,α ≤ θ ≤ β,c ≤ z ≤ d} (Figure 2). Suppose we divide each interval into l, m, and n subdivisions such that Δr=b−al,Δθ=β−αm, and Δz=d−cn. Then we can state the following definition for a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates.

Figure 2. A cylindrical box B described by cylindrical coordinates.
definition
Consider the cylindrical box (expressed in cylindrical coordinates)
B={(r,θ,z)∣a ≤ r ≤ b,α ≤ θ ≤ β,c ≤ z ≤ d}.
If the function f(r,θ,z) is continuous on B and if (r∗ijk,θ∗ijk,z∗ijk) is any sample point in the cylindrical subbox Bijk=[ri−1,ri]×[θj−1,θj]×[zk−1,zk] (Figure 2), then we can define the triple integral in cylindrical coordinates as the limit of a triple Riemann sum, provided the following limit exists:
liml,m,n→∞l∑i=1m∑j=1n∑k=1f(r∗ijk,θ∗ijk,z∗ijk)r∗ijkΔrΔθΔz.
Note that if g(x,y,z) is the function in rectangular coordinates and the box B is expressed in rectangular coordinates, then the triple integral ∭Bg(x,y,z)dV is equal to the triple integral ∭Bg(rcosθ,rsinθ,z)rdrdθdz and we have
∭Bg(x,y,z)dV=∭Bg(rcosθ,rsinθ,z)rdrdθdz=∭Bf(r,θ,z)rdrdθdz.
As mentioned in the preceding section, all the properties of a double integral work well in triple integrals, whether in rectangular coordinates or cylindrical coordinates. They also hold for iterated integrals. To reiterate, in cylindrical coordinates, Fubini’s theorem takes the following form:
theorem: fubini’s theorem in cylindrical coordinates
Suppose that g(x,y,z) is continuous on a rectangular box B, which when described in cylindrical coordinates looks like B={(r,θ,z)∣a ≤ r ≤ b,α ≤ θ ≤ β,c ≤ z ≤ d}.
Then g(x,y,z)=g(rcosθ,rsinθ,z)=f(r,θ,z) and
∭Bg(x,y,z)dV=∫dc∫βα∫baf(r,θ,z)rdrdθdz.
The iterated integral may be replaced equivalently by any one of the other five iterated integrals obtained by integrating with respect to the three variables in other orders.
Cylindrical coordinate systems work well for solids that are symmetric around an axis, such as cylinders and cones. Let us look at some examples before we define the triple integral in cylindrical coordinates on general cylindrical regions.
Example: evaluating a triple integral over a cylindrical box
Evaluate the triple integral ∭B(zrsinθ)rdrdθdz where the cylindrical box B is B={(r,θ,z)∣0 ≤ r ≤ 2,0 ≤ θ ≤ π/2,0 ≤ z ≤ 4}.
try it
Evaluate the triple integral ∫θ=πθ=0 ∫r=1r=0 ∫z=4z=0 rz sin θr dz dθ.
Watch the following video to see the worked solution to the above Try It
If the cylindrical region over which we have to integrate is a general solid, we look at the projections onto the coordinate planes. Hence the triple integral of a continuous function f(r,θ,z) over a general solid region E={(r,θ,z)∣(r,θ) ∈ D,u1(r,θ) ≤ z ≤ u2(r,θ)} in R3, where D is the projection of E onto the rθ-plane,
∭Ef(r,θ,z)rdrdθdz=∬D[∫u2(r,θ)u1(r,θ)f(r,θ,z) dz]rdrdθ.
In particular, if D={(r,θ)∣g1 (θ) ≤ r ≤ g2 (θ),α ≤ θ ≤ β}, then we have
∭Ef(r,θ,z)rdrdθ=∫θ=βθ=α ∫r=g2(θ)r=g1(θ) ∫z=u2(r,θ)z=u1(r,θ)f(r,θ,z)rdzdrdθ.
Similar formulas exist for projections onto the other coordinate planes. We can use polar coordinates in those planes if necessary.
Example: setting up a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates over a general region
Consider the region E inside the right circular cylinder with equation r=2sinθ, bounded below by the rθ-plane and bounded above by the sphere with radius 4 centered at the origin (Figure 3). Set up a triple integral over this region with a function f(r,θ,z) in cylindrical coordinates.

Figure 3. Setting up a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates over a cylindrical region.
try it
Consider the region E inside the right circular cylinder with equation r=2sin θ, bounded below by the r θ-plane and bounded above by z=4−y. Set up a triple integral with a function f(r,θ,z) in cylindrical coordinates.
Example: setting up a triple integral in two ways
Let E be the region bounded below by the cone z=√x2+y2 and above by the paraboloid z=2−x2−y2 (Figure 4). Set up a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates to find the volume of the region, using the following orders of integration:
1. dz dr dθ
2. dr dz dθ

Figure 4. Setting up a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates over a conical region.
try it
Redo the previous example with the order of integration dθ dz dr.
Example: finding a volume with triple integrals in two ways
Let E be the region bounded below by the rθ-plane, above by the sphere x2+y2+z2=4, and on the sides by the cylinder x2+y2=1 (Figure 5). Set up a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates to find the volume of the region using the following orders of integration, and in each case find the volume and check that the answers are the same:
1. dz dr dθ
2. dr dz dθ.

Figure 5. Finding a cylindrical volume with a triple integral in cylindrical coordinates.
try it
Redo the previous example with the order of integration dθ dz dr.
Candela Citations
- CP 5.27. Authored by: Ryan Melton. License: CC BY: Attribution
- Calculus Volume 3. Authored by: Gilbert Strang, Edwin (Jed) Herman. Provided by: OpenStax. Located at: https://openstax.org/books/calculus-volume-3/pages/1-introduction. License: CC BY-NC-SA: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. License Terms: Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/calculus-volume-3/pages/1-introduction