Candidate Code: hsl966

Model and Calculate the Surface Area and Volume of a

Coca-Cola Bottle to Analyse its Environmental Impact

IBDP Mathematics
Applications and Interpretation HL- Exploration
Personal Code: hsl966
Examination session: May 2022

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Introduction
This exploration aims to model and calculate the surface area and volume of a Coca-Cola plastic
bottle, to evaluate the company’s sustainability. In the real-world context plastic has an
enormous impact on pollution and global warming. Evidently, the most common material used in
Coca-Cola bottles is plastic and as our consumption of such drinks increases so does the
pollution of our environment. Due to the lack of recycling facilities in India, majority of the
plastic waste is dumped into the environment, which produces dangerous quantities of gases,
thus contributing to global warming. Therefore, the conclusions of this investigation will help
quantify the negative impacts of Coca-Cola bottles, and provide mathematically backed
suggestions, that will help combat this global issue.

In order to find an appropriate model for the bottle, a system of equations were solved using
matrixes to form various polynomial functions. Together, these formed a piece wise function to
represent the shape of the entire bottle. I found various applicable equations, however, in order to
identify one that best fits the bottle I calculated the coefficient of determination (𝑅2 ). The
coefficient of determination “is used to analyse how differences in one variable can be explained
by a difference in a second variable”. 1

In order to calculate the surface area of the plastic, I revolved the obtained functions using
concepts of differentiation and integration. Through my calculations, I realised that a proportion
of the plastic was wasted because no Coca- Cola was filled towards the top of the bottle. I
therefore calculated the total wastage by subtracting the used surface area from the total surface
area. Furthermore, I was interested in finding out the actual quantity of Coca-Cola we received,
and so I used similar calculus operations to find the volume of the revolution of the bottle and the
liquid inside separately. To perform my calculations, I used my Graphing Calculator, GeoGebra
and Desmos.

In making my calculations, I wanted to view the problem from a different to find a method that
may be more accurate. Therefore, I adopted a secondary method to calculate the surface area. I

1 “Coefficient of Determination (R Squared): Definition, Calculation.” Statistics How To, 8 June 2021,
www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/coefficient-of-determination-r-squared/. Accessed 29 Dec. 2021.

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wrapped the Coca-Cola bottle with a piece of cloth and measured the area of that cloth. Through
this, I compared my findings of the two different mathematical models and analysed the degree
of difference between the two.

As an aspiring product designer, I aim to change the direction of design towards sustainability
and this mathematical exploration is just the beginning of it. The reason why I have chosen
Coca-Cola as the brand is because it is the most consumed soft drink in India, thus impacting the
environment more than the other competitors.

Modelling the Coca-Cola Bottle

The first step in this exploration was to find an appropriate model that best represented all parts
of the 2.5 litre Coca-Cola bottle. I, therefore, found a picture of the plastic bottle and removed its
background on Adobe Photoshop to place it on the graphing software GeoGebra (Figure 1).
Moving further, it was important for me to determine the scale of the plastic bottle as it would
affect the surface area and volume calculations. In order to do so, I measured the height of the
Coca-Cola bottle. Due to the irregular shape, I decided to bisect the bottle along its vertical axis
of symmetry using an exacto knife and measured its height from the bottom end to the top using
a ruler. The height of the bottle was found to be exactly 37cm, which is represented by the blue
line in. This suggests that the scale I have taken is 1 unit= 1cm. The axis of symmetry was
identified by marking a straight line across the diameter of the circular bottom of the plastic
bottle. The line guided me while cutting the bottle. However, it is important to note that ruler has
uncertainty of ±0.1𝑐𝑚.

Y axis- half width of

the Coca-Cola bottle

x axis- height of the

Coca-Cola bottle

Figure 12 Cropped version of bottle inserted in GeoGebra

2
Alexandr Kornienko. “Photo of Coca-Cola Plastic Bottle.” Dreamstime.com, 2015, www.dreamstime.com/photo-coca-cola-plastoc-bottle-
chisinau-moldova-december-isolated-white-background-clipping-path-image149255279. Accessed 29 March. 2022.

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To model the shape of the Coca-Cola bottle I analytically found a polynomial equation that
represent the top half of the bottle. The polynomial function was derived by plotting coordinates
on the contours of the perimeter of the bottle, through the point tool on GeoGebra. These points
were equidistant in order to ensure a uniform representation of the entire bottle (Figure 2).

Y axis- half width

of the Coca-Cola
bottle

x axis- height of
the Coca-Cola
bottle

Figure 2 Plotted coordinates on the outline of the bottle using Geogebra

Once the coordinates were plotted, I used the 2- variable statistical analysis tool to find the
regression line that best fits the data. Naturally, the higher the degree of polynomial function, the
more accurate model is formed. Therefore, the function with that best fit the outline of the bottle
was a 7-degree polynomial function, as indicated in figure 3. To test the accuracy of this function
I found the coefficient of determination value on GeoGebra itself. This statistical measure helps
represent the proportion of variance between the x and y values in a regression model. The
coefficient of determination for the aforementioned function was 0.86105, which indicates that

Y axis- half width of

the Coca-Cola bottle

x axis- height of the

Coca-Cola bottle

Figure 3 Regression curve for the plotted coordinates (Self-made using Geogebra)

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the function does not accurately fit the data. This was also evident, as the 7-degree polynomial
did not follow all curvatures of the Coca-Cola bottle.

Therefore, I decided to divide the bottle into seven sections, where each of the sections were
modelled by polynomial equations that best fit those coordinates. The coordinates plotted on the
bottle were used to form various simultaneous equations depending on the degree of the
polynomial function. These simultaneous equations were solved using concepts of matrixes.

I chose seven sections because there were seven evident curvatures in the bottle, but also because
more subdivisions guarantee a higher degree of accuracy. I also decided to restrict the
polynomial functions to not exceed the 5th degree to avoid complicated and unnecessarily
lengthy expansions and simplifications. By restricting the domain of each of the seven functions,
one single piecewise function was generated to model the top half of the bottle. The calculated
piecewise function was plotted on a graph and compared to the Coca-Cola bottle to note any
discrepancies that arise.

Revised method to model the bottle

To model the first section of the bottle I identified the domain in which I would construct my
first function. The domain that I chose was between 0.00 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 8.35. Next I identified that the
shape of that section best resembled a 5th degree polynomial. Therefore I plotted six coordinates
on the contours of the perimeter of the bottle because 5the degree polynomial functions consist of
6 terms. The general formula of a 5th degree polynomial function is:

𝑓(𝑥) = (𝑎𝑥 5 ) + (𝑏𝑥 4 ) + (𝑐𝑥 3 ) + (𝑑𝑥 2 ) + (𝑒𝑥) + 𝑓

The coordinates of the points are as follows:

(0.34656, 3.9016) (1.5131,4.8211) (2.5561, 5.2054) (5.0539, 5.5210) (7.1674, 5.1230)(8.3613, 4.7937)

With these six coordinates I formed six simultaneous equations which have been inserted below.

3.9016 = (0.346565 𝑎) + (0.346564 𝑏) + (0.346563 𝑐) + (0.346562 𝑑) + (0.34656𝑒) + 𝑓

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4.8211 = (1.51315 𝑎) + (1.51314 𝑏) + (1.51313 𝑐) + (1.51312 𝑑) + (1.5131𝑒) + 𝑓

5.2054 = (2.55615 𝑎) + (2.55614 𝑏) + (2.55613 𝑐) + (2.55612 𝑑) + (2.5561𝑒) + 𝑓
5.5210 = (5.05395 𝑎) + (5.05394 𝑏) + (5.05393 𝑐) + (5.05392 𝑑) + (5.0539𝑒) + 𝑓
5.1230 = (7.16745 𝑎) + (7.16744 𝑏) + (7.16743 𝑐) + (7.16742 𝑑) + (7.1674𝑒) + 𝑓
4.7937 = (8.36135 𝑎) + (8.36134 𝑏) + (8.36133 𝑐) + (8.36132 𝑑) + (8.3613𝑒) + 𝑓

Matrixes can be used to solve a system of simultaneous equations manually.

Given that the matrix equation AX= B
If we multiply 𝐴−1 to each side of the matrix equation, the results are:
𝐴−1 𝐴𝑋 = 𝐴−1 𝐵
𝑋 = 𝐴−1 𝐵

Using this identity, I formed the matrix equation and solve for the unknown variables.
𝑎 −1
0.346565 0.346564 0.346563 0.346562 0.34656 1 3.9016
𝑏 1.51315 1.51314 1.51313 1.51312 1.5131 1 4.8211
𝑐 2.55615 2.55614 2.55613 2.55612 2.5561 1 5.2054
𝑑 = 5.05395 5.05394 5.05393 5.05392 5.0539 1
×
5.5210
𝑒 7.16745 7.16744 7.16743 7.16742 7.1674 1 5.1230
(𝑓) ( 8.36135 8.36134 8.36133 8.36132 8.3613 1) (4.7937 )

𝑎 0.000603
𝑏 −0.013812
𝑐 0.119211
𝑑 = −0.544575
𝑒 1.50899
(𝑓) ( 3.43928 )

Next, I substituted the found values with their corresponding variables in the 5th degree
polynomial equation. The equation below represents the function for the 1 st section of the bottle.
F(x) represents the half width of the bottle while, x represents the height of the bottle.

𝑓(𝑥) = 0.000603𝑥 5 − 0.013812𝑥 4 + 0.119211𝑥 3 − 0.544575𝑥 2 + 1.508990𝑥 + 3.439280

By repeating this procedure, for the remaining parts of the bottle I found the functions, to five
decimal places. (Appendix 1)The equations are as follows:

𝒇(𝒙) = 0.000603𝑥 5 − 0.013812𝑥 4 + 0.119211𝑥 3 − 0.544575𝑥 2 + 1.508990𝑥 + 3.43928 0

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𝒈(𝒙) = 4.794010
𝒉(𝒙) = −0.007559𝑥 3 + 0.283040𝑥 2 − 3.373000𝑥 + 17.775200
𝒋(𝒙) = 5.351010
𝒌(𝒙) = 0.001988𝑥 4 − 0.217770𝑥 3 + 8.86100𝑥 2 − 159.120000𝑥 + 1071.496900
𝒎(𝒙) = −0.090000𝑥 + 4.290000
𝒏(𝒙) = 1.500000
Functions 𝒈(𝒙), 𝒋(𝒙), 𝒎(𝒙) are horizontal straight lines, thus did not require simultaneous equations to
be made and solved through matrices.

Finally, by restricting the domain of each function to its specified region on the graph we can
obtain the piecewise function that models the entire bottle.

0.000603𝑥 5 − 0.013812𝑥 4 + 0.119211𝑥 3 − 0.544575𝑥 2 + 1.50899𝑥 + 3.43928 0.00 ≤ 𝑥 < 8.35

4.79401 8.35 ≤ 𝑥 < 9.54
−0.0075586𝑥 3 + 0.28304𝑥 2 − 3.3730𝑥 + 17.7752 9.54 ≤ 𝑥 < 15.39
𝑏(𝑥) = 5.351 15.39 ≤ 𝑥 < 24.27
0.0019879𝑥 4 − 0.21777𝑥 3 + 8.8610𝑥 2 − 159.12𝑥 + 1071.4969 24.27 ≤ 𝑥 < 33
−0.09𝑥 + 4.29 33.00 ≤ 𝑥 < 34.44
{ 1.500 34.44 ≤ 𝑥 ≤ 37.00

f(x) h(x) j(x)

Y axis- half width of g(x) k(x)
the Coca-Cola bottle
m(x)
n(x)

x axis- height of the

Coca-Cola bottle

Figure 4 Seven polynomial functions modelling the seven sections of the bottle

Reflecting on Figure 5, the piecewise function models the bottle almost perfectly. There are,
however, some discrepancies such as the indents on the base of the bottle and the vertical lines of
concavity that this method could not model.

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The accuracy of this model cannot be left to the eye and requires a mathematical analysis. I
therefore, found the correlation of determination, in which the R square value of the model was
examined. The R-square values were found using the statistical analysis tool on GeoGebra.

𝑻𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝟏: 𝑪𝒐𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 (𝑹𝟐 )𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔

Function 𝑹𝟐
f(x) 0.999999
g(x) 1.00000
h(x) 0.999999
j(x) 1.00000
k(x) 0.999999
m(x) 0.998888
n(x) 1.000000

The 𝑅2 test implies that all polynomial functions are a good fit for the shape of the bottle. None
of the values are below 0.95, indicating an extremely close correlation between the three chosen
points and the calculated equation. Reflecting upon this model, it seems unnecessary to divide
the bottle into these many sections. Perhaps, it could have been more efficient to have 3-4
equations as it would make future calculations simpler. However, this is not to say that the
aforementioned seven functions are inferior, they in fact produce a more accurate model.

Calculating the Surface Area Using Method A

In order to calculate the surface area of the bottle we can rotate a 2D function 2 degrees about
the x-axis to find the surface area of revolution. This is done by evaluating the following integral
between two limits, that can be substituted by the domains of the piecewise functions.
𝑏
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 𝑓(𝑥)√1 + [𝑓 ′ (𝑥)]2 𝑑𝑥 3
𝑎

3 “Area of a Surface of Revolution.” Math24.net, 2022, math24.net/area-surface-revolution.html. Accessed 10 Dec. 2021.

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Solving 𝑓(𝑥) = 0.000603𝑥5 − 0.013812𝑥4 + 0.119211𝑥3 − 0.544575𝑥2 + 1.50899𝑥 + 3.43928

• Calculating the derivative

𝑑𝑦
= [(5 × 0.000603𝑥 4 ) − (4 × 0.013812𝑥 3 ) + (3 × 0.119211𝑥 2 ) − (2 × 0.54457𝑥) + (1.50899)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
= 0.003015𝑥 4 − 0.055248𝑥 3 + 0.357633𝑥 2 − 1.089140𝑥 + 1.508990
𝑑𝑥
• Substituting the required values into the formula
8.35
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 0.000603𝑥 5 − 0.013812𝑥 4 + 0.119211𝑥 3 − 0.544575𝑥 2 + 1.50899𝑥
0

+ 3.43928 √1 + [0.003015𝑥 4 − 0.055248𝑥 3 + 0.357633𝑥 2 − 1.08914𝑥 + 1.50899]2 𝑑𝑥

• A GDC was used to solve this integral, thus giving

𝐴 = 286.994𝑐𝑚2

The same method was used to calculate the surface area of the remaining functions. The results
are as follows. (Appendix 2)
Table 2: Surface area of revolution for its corresponding functions
Function Surface area (𝑐𝑚2 )
f(x) 286.994
g(x) 35.8447
h(x) 187.518
j(x) 298.557
k(x) 218.786
m(x) 20.5621
n(x) 24.0992

The surface area of the base and the flat surface of the cap can be calculated using the following
formula, because they are circles:
𝐴 = 𝑟 2
It has been assumed that the base of the bottle is flat because calculating the area of the base
exceeds the scope of this exploration.

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Calculating the area of the circular base

• Substitute the y intercept of the function f(x) as the radius in the given formula
𝐴 = 3.43772
• Calculate using GDC
𝐴 = 38.485𝑐𝑚2
Using the same procedure, the area of the flat surface of the bottle cap was determined
𝐴 = 37.1267𝑐𝑚2

By adding all the surface areas we obtain the total surface area.

Total Surface area = 1147.97 (𝑐𝑚2 )

Although, the Coca-Cola bottle’s surface area is 1147.97 (𝑐𝑚2 ) not all of the plastic is used
efficiently. Through the previously inserted images of the Coke bottle we can see that there is a
significant part of the bottle neck that is left unused. In order to calculate this segment of wasted
plastic I will find the surface area of revolution between the surface of the liquid to the collar of
the bottle. I am not including the lip of the bottle since it is required to effectively drink the Cola.
For this I will to revolve the function n(x) under the limits (31.6, 34.443) and the function m(x)
under the limits (34.443, 37)

Solving n(x)= −0.09𝑥 + 4.29

• Calculating the derivative
𝑑𝑦
= (1 × −0.09𝑥1−1 )
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
= (−0.09)
𝑑𝑥

• Substituting the required values into the formula

8.35
𝐴 = 2 ∫ (−0.09𝑥 + 4.29√1 + [−0.09]2 )𝑑𝑥
0

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• A GDC was used to solve this integral, thus giving

𝐴 = 23.6399𝑐𝑚2

Similarly I solved for m(x)= 1.500 under the limits (31.6, 34.443)
𝐴 = 24.0992𝑐𝑚2

The total area of wasted plastic = 47.7391𝑐𝑚2

This may not seem like a large quantity; however, Coca Cola produces 117.5 billion plastic
bottles in a year.4 Which means that 5.609 trillion 𝑐𝑚2 of plastic is unnecessarily used and can
be avoided.

Calculating Surface Area Using Method B

I proceeded onto a second method to calculate the surface area in hopes to find a more accurate
value. This method involves wrapping the plastic bottle with different pieces of cloth to obtain a
template from which the surface area is measured. Due to the irregularity in shape I divided the
bottle into different sections again. Once the cloth was wrapped and cut I traced the shape of the
cloth on paper for ease of measurement. Images of the wrapped up areas have been inserted
below, along with their dimensions. The area of all 2D shapes can be calculated using standard
formulas for each shape

Table 3: Surface areas of the composite shape (Self made)

Part of the Image of Wrapped Area Formula Area 𝒄𝒎𝟐
bottle

4 Rizvi, Abbas. “Here Is How Coca-Cola Is Contributing to the Plastic Problem around the World.” Thelogicalindian.com, The Logical Indian, 26 Oct.
2021, thelogicalindian.com/environment/coca-cola-100-billion-plastic-bottle-problem-
31502#:~:text=The%20soft%20drink%20industry%20produces,are%20dumped%2C%20burned%20or%20littered.. Accessed 30 Jan. 2022.

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(1) 𝑟 2 7.06
Top flat
surface of
the cap

(2) Length x width 23.75

Curved
band of the
cap
(3) π(R+r)L 243.866
Conical
Frustum of
the bottle

(4) Length x Width 840

Cylindrical
portion of
the bottle

(5) 𝑟 2 94.2
Bottom
base of the
bottle

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By adding the individual surface areas the total surface area of the composite shape is achieved.
Total Surface Area= 1208.88𝑐𝑚2

Comparing the Two Methods

There is a 60.9073𝑐𝑚2 difference between the calculated surface areas of both methods. This is a
significant difference and indicates that one method is more accurate than the other. The first
method is more specifically curated towards the Coca-Cola bottle because it follows the outlines
of the bottle almost perfectly. On the other hand, in the second method the concavity of the
different parts of the bottle were not taken into consideration. Instead, a simple cylinder and
regular frustum were used for the calculations. For this reason, the surface area was over
estimated and is less accurate than method one. That being said, both models did not take the
irregularity of the base into consideration. Therefore, both methods do not give us the exact
surface area of the bottle, but method 1 gives a comparatively closer value.

Calculating the Volume

In Applications and Interpretation HL, we learnt that the volume of an object can be calculated
by rotating a 2D function by 2 degrees about the x-axis. This is done by evaluating the
following integral between two limits that can be substituted by the domains of the piecewise
functions.
𝑏
 ∫ [𝑓 (𝑥)]2 𝑑𝑥
𝑎

Solving 𝑓(𝑥) = 0.00071624𝑥 5 − 0.0163120𝑥 4 + 0.13828𝑥 3 − 0.60178𝑥 2 + 1.5654𝑥 + 3.4377

• Substituting the required values into the formula using the limits (0.00, 8.35)
8.35
∫ [0.000603𝑥5 − 0.013812𝑥4 + 0.119211𝑥3 − 0.544575𝑥2 + 1.50899𝑥 + 3.43928]2 𝑑𝑥
0

• A GDC was used to solve this integral, thus giving

V= 683.912𝑐𝑚3

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The same method was used to calculate the volume of the remaining functions. The results are as
follows. (Appendix 3)

Table 4: Volume of revolution for its corresponding functions

Function Volume (𝑐𝑚3 )
f(x) 683.912
g(x) 85.9197
h(x) 473.247
j(x) 798.79
k(x) 408.459
m(x) 75.5931
n(x) 18.0744

By adding all the volumes we obtain the total volume.

Total Volume = 2513.997(𝑐𝑚3 )

Although, the Coca-Cola bottle’s volume is 2513.997(𝑐𝑚3), a portion of the bottle is filled
with air and not cola. In order to calculate the actual volume of product present in the bottle I
will find the volume of revolution between the surface of the liquid to the collar of the bottle. For
this I would have to revolve the function n(x) under the limits (31.6, 34.443) and the function
m(x) under the limits (34.443, 37). Next I will subtract that volume with the total volume to find
the actual liquid.

Solving n(x)= −0.09𝑥 + 4.29

34.443
𝑉1 =  ∫ [−0.09𝑥 + 4.29]2 𝑑𝑥
31.6

𝑉1= 15.5655𝑐𝑚3
Solving m(x)= 1.500
37.000
𝑉2 =  ∫ [1.500]2 𝑑𝑥
34.444

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𝑉2 = 18.07444𝑐𝑚3

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 = 33.6399𝑐𝑚3

𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑎 − 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓𝐶𝑜𝑙𝑎 = 2513.997 − 33.6399

= 2480.36𝑐𝑚3

The volume of the bottle that was modelled is 2.5liters, whereas the calculated volume is 2.513
liters. This implies that the method used to calculate the volume is extremely accurate and
represents the bottle well. We may have slightly overestimated the value; however, the effect is
negligible. Additionally, wasted volume of the Coca-Cola bottle suggests that the consumer does
not receive the amount of product that it pays for, thus deceiving the consumer.

Suggestions to make the bottle more environmentally friendly

Through the calculations above and further analysis of the bottle’s design I have devised the
following suggestion to make Coca-Cola’s packaging more sustainable.

Directly print the plastic label on the bottle

The Coca-Cola label is an additional use of plastic other than the bottle itself. The surface area of
this label would equal to a product of length and breadth 34 x 8.5 = 289𝑐𝑚2. The company can

Figure 5 Label of Coca-Cola Bottle (Self-clicked)

imprint the label on the bottle itself to save any kind of extra material used. Not only will this
benefit the environment, but will also reduce production costs for the company in the long run.
Additionally, imprinting the label onto the bottle is a better alternative than using other materials

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such as paper because, paper would eventually have to be discarded as well. A small label like
this may not seem like a large threat to the environment, however, if we consider the massive
number of bottles that are consumed, a small reduction of plastic would create a significant
impact.

Length of the neck of the bottle

As previously mentioned, a significant proportion of the bottle neck is wasted. Coca-Cola’s
classic bottle shape tends to have an extended bottle neck which is evidently not filled with the
liquid product. Together, this wastes over 5.609 trillion 𝑐𝑚2 of plastic each year. To put this into
perspective, this is more than 123550 acres of land, which is essentially being destroyed each
year.

As a sustainable design student, I have learnt that the shape of a product significantly impacts the
optimum use of a material. Coca-Cola can, therefore, redesign its packaging in a way that
removes the neck of the bottle, as shown in figure 6. The shape of the Bisleri bottle extenuates
the curve at the top of the bottle. This eliminates the need for a bottle neck and therefore, reduces
the amount of wasted plastic.

Figure 65 Example of a bottle with no bottle neck

5 “Bisleri Packaged Drinking Water.” Indiamart.com, 2013, www.indiamart.com/proddetail/bisleri-packaged-drinking-water-

12500706762.html. Accessed 30 Jan. 2022.

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Conclusion
The aim of this exploration was to evaluate Coca-Cola’s plastic bottle packaging by modelling
and calculating its surface area and volume. It is evident that Coca-Cola’s plastic packaging is
not at its most environmentally friendly level. Through calculations, we know that the firm uses
unnecessarily excess plastic (47.7391𝑐𝑚2 ), for pure aesthetic reasons, while the consequences of
pollution and global warming outweigh the need for visual appeal. As a result of the unused
plastic, consumers do not get the claimed volume of Coca-Cola either. Coca-Cola should
therefore implement the suggestions mentioned above. As responsible citizens, we must ensure
sustainability for future generations. To do my part, suggestions will be given to the Coca-Cola
bottlers to determine whether they can consider making any changes.

While implementing my methodology, I recognized certain limitations

1) There were vertical indents in the design of the bottle that my model did not take into
consideration. As a result, the surface area and volume calculations may have been over
estimated. In reality Coca-Cola could be using a smaller area of plastic in their bottles.
2) Underneath the bottle cap was the lip of the bottle. During my calculations I did not separately
add the surface area of the lip. This has led to an underestimation of the plastic used within that
area, which does not accurately represent the problem given at hand.
3) The measurements made with a ruler may have been subject to human error since they were
performed manually. Additionally, measurement tools have uncertainties that ultimately degrade
the accuracy of calculations.

Extensions
For further explorations it may be interesting to compare the surface area and volume of different
brands of soft drinks. This would help us determine the most sustainable brand, possibly leading
to more environmentally friendly purchasing decisions. Through this we could also find out
which brand delivers the maximum volume of soft drink as compared to the volume of the bottle.
This information will also help conclude which brand best satisfies its consumers.

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References

“Area of a Surface of Revolution.” Math24.net, 2022, math24.net/area-surface-revolution.html. Accessed 10 Dec.

2021.

“Bisleri Packaged Drinking Water.” Indiamart.com, 2013, www.indiamart.com/proddetail/bisleri-packaged-

drinking-water-12500706762.html. Accessed 11 Dec. 2021.

“Desmos | Graphing Calculator.” Desmos, 2022, www.desmos.com/calculator. Accessed 20 Dec. 2021.

“GeoGebra - the World’s Favorite, Free Math Tools Used by over 100 Million Students and Teachers.” GeoGebra,

2022, www.geogebra.org/?lang=en. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.

“Official Adobe Photoshop | Photo & Design Software.” Adobe.com, 2022,

www.adobe.com/in/products/photoshop.html. Accessed 16 Feb. 2022.

Rizvi, Abbas. “Here Is How Coca-Cola Is Contributing to the Plastic Problem around the

World.” Thelogicalindian.com, The Logical Indian, 26 Oct. 2021, thelogicalindian.com/environment/coca-

cola-100-billion-plastic-bottle-problem-

31502#:~:text=The%20soft%20drink%20industry%20produces,are%20dumped%2C%20burned%20or%20li

ttered.. Accessed 30 Jan. 2022.

Volume of a Solid of Revolution: Disks and Washers.” Math24.net, 2022, math24.net/volume-solid-of-revolution-

disks-washers.html. Accessed 30 Jan. 2022.

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Appendix 1- Calculating sub-functions of the piecewise model

Calculating function h(x)

(9.54, 4.79394) (11.29, 4.89412) (12.5, 5.07481) (15.39, 5.35109)

4.79 = 9.543 𝑎 + 9.542 𝑏 + 9.54𝑐 + 𝑑

4.89 = 11.293 𝑎 + 11.292 𝑏 + 11.29𝑐 + 𝑑
5.074 = 12.503 𝑎 + 12.502 𝑏 + 12.50𝑐 + 𝑑
5.35 = 15.393 𝑎 + 15.392 𝑏 + 15.39𝑐 + 𝑑
−1
𝑎 9.543 9.542 9.54 1 4.79
𝑏 3
11.292 4.89
( ) = (11.293 11.29 1) × ( )
𝑐 12.50 12.502 12.50 1 5.074
𝑑 15.393 15.392 15.39 1 5.35

𝑎 −0.0075586
𝑏
( ) = ( 0.28304 )
𝑐 −3.3730
𝑑 17.7752

𝒉(𝒙) = −0.0075586𝑥 3 + 0.28304𝑥 2 − 3.3730𝑥 + 17.7752

Calculating function k(x)

(24.27, 5.5937) (25.56, 5.39938) (26.89, 5.05109) (28.11, 4.48755) (32.55, 1.70902)

5.5937 = 24.274 𝑎 + 24.273 𝑏 + 24.27𝑐 2 + 24.27𝑑 + 𝑒

5.39938 = 25.564 𝑎 + 25.563 𝑏 + 25.56𝑐 2 + 25.56𝑑 + 𝑒
5.05109 = 26.894 𝑎 + 26.893 𝑏 + 26.89𝑐 2 + 26.89𝑑 + 𝑒
4.48755 = 28.114 𝑎 + 28.113 𝑏 + 28.11𝑐 2 + 28.11𝑑 + 𝑒
1.70902 = 32.554 𝑎 + 32.553 𝑏 + 32.55𝑐 2 + 32.55𝑑 + 𝑒

−1
𝑎 24.274 24.273 24.272 24.27 1 5.5937
𝑏 25.564 25.563 25.562 25.56 1 5.39938
𝑐 = 26.894 26.893 26.892 26.89 1 × 5.05109
𝑑 28.114 28.113 28.112 28.11 1 4.48755
(𝑒 ) (32.554 32.553 32.552 32.55 1) (1.70902)

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𝑎 0.0019879
𝑏 −0.21777
𝑐 = 8.8610
𝑑 −159.12
(𝑒 ) (1071.4969)

𝒌(𝒙) = 0.0019879𝑥 4 − 0.21777𝑥 3 + 8.8610𝑥 2 − 159.12𝑥 + 1071.4969

Calculating function n(x)

(33.00, 1.32) (34.44, 1.1904)

1.32 = 33.00𝑚 + 𝑐
1.904 = 34.44𝑚 + 𝑐

𝑚 33.00 1 −1 1.32
( )=( ) ( )
𝑐 34.44 1 1.1904
𝑚 −0.09
( )=( )
𝑐 4.29

𝒏(𝒙) = −0.09𝑥 + 4.29

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Appendix 2-
𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐚 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰

𝑏
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 𝑓(𝑥)√1 + [𝑓 ′ (𝑥)]2 𝑑𝑥
𝑎

𝒈(𝒙) = 4.79401
9.54
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 4.79401 √1 + [0]2 𝑑𝑥
8.35

𝐴 = 35.8447

𝒉(𝒙) = −0.0075586𝑥3 + 0.28304𝑥2 − 3.3730𝑥 + 17.7752

15.39
𝐴 = 2 ∫ −0.0075586𝑥 3 + 0.28304𝑥 2 − 3.3730𝑥
9.54

+ 17.7752 √1 + [(3 × −0.0075586𝑥 2 ) + (2 × 0.28304𝑥) − 3.3730 ]2 𝑑𝑥

𝐴 = 187.518

𝒋(𝒙) = 5.351
24.27
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 5.351√1 + [0]2 𝑑𝑥
15.39

𝐴 = 298.557

𝒌(𝒙) = 0.0019879𝑥4 − 0.21777𝑥3 + 8.8610𝑥2 − 159.12𝑥 + 1071.4969

33.00
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 0.0019879𝑥4 − 0.21777𝑥3 + 8.8610𝑥2 − 159.12𝑥
24.27

+ 1071.4969√1 + [(4 × 0.0019879𝑥3 ) − (3 × 0.21777𝑥2 ) + (2 × 8.8610𝑥) − 159.12]2 𝑑𝑥

𝐴 = 218.786

𝒎(𝒙) = −0.09𝑥 + 4.29

34.44
𝐴 = 2 ∫ −0.09𝑥 + 4.29√1 + [−0.09]2 𝑑𝑥
33.00

𝐴 = 20.5621

𝒏(𝒙) = 1.500
37.00
𝐴 = 2 ∫ 1.500√1 + [0]2 𝑑𝑥
34.44

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𝐴 = 24.0992

Appendix 3
𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒘
𝑏
 ∫ [𝑓(𝑥)]2 𝑑𝑥
𝑎

𝒈(𝒙) = 4.79401
9.54
𝑉 = 2 ∫ √[4.79401]2 𝑑𝑥
8.35

𝑉 = 85.9197

𝒉(𝒙) = −0.0075586𝑥3 + 0.28304𝑥2 − 3.3730𝑥 + 17.7752

15.39
𝑉 = 2 ∫ √[−0.0075586𝑥 3 + 0.28304𝑥 2 − 3.3730𝑥 + 17.7752]2 𝑑𝑥
9.54

𝑉 = 473.247

𝒋(𝒙) = 5.351
24.27
𝐴 = 2 ∫ √1 + [5.351]2 𝑑𝑥
15.39

𝐴 = 798.79

𝒌(𝒙) = 0.0019879𝑥4 − 0.21777𝑥3 + 8.8610𝑥2 − 159.12𝑥 + 1071.4969

33.00
𝐴 = 2 ∫ √1 + [0.0019879𝑥4 − 0.21777𝑥3 + 8.8610𝑥2 − 159.12𝑥 + 1071.4969]2 𝑑𝑥
24.27

𝐴 = 408.459

𝒎(𝒙) = −0.09𝑥 + 4.29

34.44
𝐴 = 2 ∫ √1 + [−0.09𝑥 + 4.29]2 𝑑𝑥
33.00

𝐴 = 75.5931

𝒏(𝒙) = 1.500
37.00
𝐴 = 2 ∫ √1 + [1.500]2 𝑑𝑥
34.44

𝐴 = 18.0744

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