Solid angle surface area of a spherical cap is always equal to the area of a circle whose radius equals the distance from the rim of the spherical cap to the point where the cap's axis of symmetry intersects the cap. In the diagram this radius is given as: Hence for a unit sphere the solid angle of the spherical cap is given as: When = , the spherical cap becomes a hemisphere having a solid angle 2. The solid angle of the complement of the cone (picture a melon with the cone cut out) is clearly: This is also the solid
Surface area ratio is credited to Archimedes. Surface area is important in chemical kinetics. Increasing the surface area of a substance generally increases the rate of a chemical reaction. For example, iron in a fine powder will combust, while in solid blocks it is stable enough to use in structures. For different applications a minimal or maximal surface area may be desired. The surface area of an organism is important in several considerations, such as regulation of body temperature and digestion. Animals use their teeth to grind food down into smaller particles, increasing the surface area available for digestion. The epithelial tissue