The washer method is a technique used to find the volume of a solid of revolution when the solid has a hole in the middle. It involves integrating the difference between the outer radius and inner radius squared, multiplied by $\pi$.
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The washer method is typically used when the solid of revolution is generated by rotating a region around an axis that results in a hollow object.
The formula for volume using the washer method is $$V = \pi \int_{a}^{b} [(R(x))^2 - (r(x))^2] dx$$, where $R(x)$ and $r(x)$ are the outer and inner radii, respectively.
Ensure that $R(x)$ and $r(x)$ are correctly identified based on the axis of rotation and positions of functions involved.
The limits of integration $[a,b]$ should match the region being revolved around the axis.
A common mistake is forgetting to square both radii before subtracting and integrating.