ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Surface of revolution

Imagine you have a stick (let's call it a pencil) and a piece of paper. You draw a straight line on the paper with the pencil. Now, you take the pencil and place it at one end of the line. You slowly move the pencil around the line and it creates a round shape (like a doughnut or a tire) on the paper. This is what we call a surface of revolution.

Basically, a surface of revolution is a shape created by rotating a curved line (like a circle or an oval) around an imaginary axis. The axis is like a center point, and the rotation creates a 3D shape that looks similar to the original curve.

For example, if you take a circle and rotate it around its center point, you'll get a 3D shape called a sphere. If you take an oval or an ellipse and rotate it around one of its axes, you'll get a 3D shape called an ellipsoid.

Creating surfaces of revolution is an important concept in engineering and design. It helps designers and engineers create complex 3D shapes that are symmetrical and efficient. This is used in many industries, such as architecture, automotive design, and product development.

In summary, a surface of revolution is a 3D shape created by rotating a curved line around an imaginary axis.