Use differentials to approximate the maximum error propagated when calculating the volume of a sphere, if the radius is 5 + or - .01 meters

To approximate the maximum error propagated when calculating the volume of a sphere, we can use differentials. The formula for the volume of a sphere is:

V = (4/3) * π * r^3

Let's assume the radius is given as (5 ± 0.01) meters. We can set up the differential equation to find the maximum error propagated in the volume:

dV = (∂V/∂r) * dr

First, let's find the derivative of the volume formula with respect to the radius (∂V/∂r):

∂V/∂r = 4πr^2

Now, we can substitute the given radius and its error:

r = 5 meters, dr = 0.01 meters

Plugging these values into the differential equation, we have:

dV = (4π(5)^2) * (0.01)

Simplifying further:

dV = 100π * 0.01

dV ≈ 3.14

Therefore, the maximum error propagated when calculating the volume of the sphere is approximately 3.14 cubic meters.