To see how the surface area of a sphere is derived, watch the following video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvFYZLpMbR4
The surface area of a sphere is the area of 4 circles, A = 4 (Acircle) A = 4 r2
Part G – Surface Area of Spheres Example: Find the radius (to the nearest unit) of a hemisphere with a total surface area of 572 cm2. Equation: Substitute: A = ½ of Asphere + Acircle 572 = ½ (4r2) + r2 572 = 2r2 + r2 572 = 3r2 (simplify) 572 = 3r2 3 3 60.6911 = r2 8 = r (sqrt both sides) r =7 The radius of the hemisphere is 8 cm.