Finding The Area Using Integration - Wyzant Resources
Finding The Area Using Integration - Wyzant Resources
Finding The Area Using Integration - Wyzant Resources
GO
Search...
Lessons +
Denite Integration
Whenever we are calculating area in a given interval, we are using denite integration. Lets try to nd
the area under a function for a given interval.
The area of the curve to the x axis from -2 to 2 is 323 units squared.
On the graph, the red below the parabola is the area and the dotted line is the integral function. Notice
that the integral function is cubic and the original function is quadratic. The integral will always be a
degree higher than the original function. Looking at the graph, there is a geometric relationship
between the original function and the integral function. We can see at x = -2 the integral function has a
y value of a little under -5, and at x = 2 the integral has a y value of a little over 5. The dierence of 5.3
and -5.3 gives us an area of 323, which is a little over 10.
When taking the denite integral over an interval, sometimes we will get negative area because the
graph interprets area above the x axis as positive area and below the x axis as negative area.
Looking at the graph at x = -3 and 1, the integral function has an F(x) of 4.5 and 0.5 respectively.
Subtracting the lower bound value (4.5) from the upper bound value (0.5) will yield -4. If we wanted to
nd the total area, we could take the absolute value of each bound and add them together to get 5.
It is possible to integrate a function that is not continuous, but sometimes we need to break up the
area into two dierent integrals.
Before integrating, we should graph this function to see what it looks like.
a)
b)
a) Since the original function is not continuous, we need to look at the bounds rst to see if we are
integrating through any discontinuous points. Since [3,10] is greater than 1, it is continuous and we can
integrate using one integral.
b) This integral is a little dierent. The interval is discontinuous from [-2,2], so we need to split it into
two integrals and add them together.
We have one integral with the interval [-2,1] and the other from [1,2]. The rst interval is less than 1
and the second is greater than 1.
(4) Find the general integral for the yellow shaded region
First, we need to nd the three points of intersection to establish our intervals for integration. We set
each function equal and solve for x.
Like (4), we have to subtract integrals, but we have two seperate quantities to add.
We have done many examples of integrating to nd the area of a curve and it's relationship to the
integral function. We can also use integration to nd the volume of a 3D object in space, mainly by
rotation around an axis.
Related Answers
integration help
Integration
Related Blogs
Calculus I Practice
Real Numbers
Related Lessons
Integration by Parts
MATH
Algebra
Elementary Math
Prealgebra
Geometry
Trigonometry
Precalculus
Calculus
Introduction
Limits
Dierentiation
Derivative Proofs
Integration
Antiderivatives
Finding the Area
Integration by Parts
Properties
U Substitution
Multivariable Calculus
Calculus Tutors
OTHER CATEGORIES
ENGLISH
ACCOUNTING
HISTORY
SCIENCE
SPANISH
STUDY SKILLS
TEST PREP
Request a tutor
Call us 877-999-2681
DID WE GO VIRAL YET?
GET TO KNOW US
About Us
Contact Us
FAQ
Reviews
Safety
Security
In the News
LEARN WITH US
Find a Tutor
Request a Tutor
Online Tutoring
Learning Resources
Wyzant Scholarships
WORK WITH US
Careers at Wyzant
Apply to Tutor
Partners
2005 - 2017 Wyzant, Inc. - All Rights Reserved Sitemap Terms of Use Privacy Policy
if (isMyPost) { }