The method of washers extends the concept of disks by considering cases where the region revolves around an axis while having a gap (or hole) in the middle—forming a washer rather than a solid disk. This approach is ideal when the solid has inner and outer boundaries. The area of a washer is the area of the large circle minus the area of the hole.
The washer method uses the formula:
- Outer radius = from the curve to the axis of rotation.
- Inner radius = from the hole to the axis of rotation.
The equation is: \(V = \pi \int_{a}^{b} (R^2 - r^2) \, dy\), where \(R\) and \(r\) are the functions describing these radii. This method works efficiently when rotating around the y-axis, as it involves slicing axis-aligned sections.