HELP:Calculus (area region)

  • Thread starter buffgilville
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In summary, the conversation discusses finding the area of a region bounded by two given functions and determining if one of the functions is an antiderivative. Different methods are suggested, including graphing and solving for the intersection points of the two functions. However, there seems to be confusion about the correct answer for the second problem.
  • #1
buffgilville
91
0
1) Find the area of the region bounded by the graphs of
f(x) = x^2 - 5x + 3
and
H(x) = -x

Is H(x) an antiderivative? how do I solve this?

2) Find the area of the region bounded by the graphs of
x - y^2 + 2y + 4 = 2
and
2y - 2 - x = 0

so, x = y^2 - 2y - 2 and x = 2y - 2
I, then, substitute the x: y^2 - 2y -2 = 2y -2 and got y^2 - 4y=0
so, y=0,4
then I solve with antiderivatives and got -32/3 but the correct answer is
-16/3
 
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  • #2
buffgilville said:
1) Find the area of the region bounded by the graphs of
f(x) = x^2 - 5x + 3
and
H(x) = -x

Is H(x) an antiderivative? how do I solve this?

It looks like you're meant to assume that H(x) is just another function, like the quadratic you're given. What you need to do is find out where H(x) = f(x) and then find the areas under H(x) and f(x) between these limits and subtract one from the other. Finding the area under H(x) won't even require integration, as it's a straight line.
 
  • #3
1)

Did you draw a diagram so that you could see what was going on? You could simply plug the two functions into your computer or graphing calculator and see what bounded region the question is talking about. But it's not hard to graph it by hand, right?

h(x) = -x --a line passing through the origin with slope -1

The second graph is obviously parabolic, and it's easy to see what it's like by completing the square:

[tex] f(x) = x^2 - 5x + 3 = x^2 - 5x + 25/4 + 3 - 25/4 [/tex]

[tex] = (x - 5/2)^2 -13/4 [/tex]

So the graph is just that of y = x2 with a vertex shifted 5/2 to the right and 3 1/4 down. Now that you're looking at the graph, you can see that it's bound by h(x) on top and f(x) below. Can you see then that the area will be given by:

[tex] \int_a^b {(h(x) - f(x))}dx [/tex]

But what are these points bounding the region on the left and right, with x-coordinates a and b, respectively? They are the intersection points of the graphs of the two functions! They must satisfy both expressions, so that:

[tex] -x = x^2 - 5x + 3 [/tex]

[tex] 0 = x^2 - 4x + 3 = (x-3)(x-1) [/tex]

[tex] x = 1, x = 3 [/tex]

so we have intersection points (1, -1) and (3, -3)

The area becomes:

[tex] \int_1^3 {(-x - x^2 + 5x -3)}dx [/tex]

[tex] = \int_1^3 {(- x^2 + 4x -3)}dx [/tex]

I get -4/3 by hand, which agrees with the TI-83 answer -1.33333333333333...

Try #2 now
 
  • #4
cepheid, I followed what you did and still got -32/3 for #2, but the correct answer is -16/3
 
  • #5
Well, I gave it a shot, but really you should post YOUR work from now on. so that people can see what you did and help you along...don't just say..."Oh I did such and such, but it didn't work."

In this case, I'm at a loss, unless there's a typo in the original question. I didn't get -16/3. Here's what I did:

1) Solved for x in terms of y for both functions (it happens to be easier that way in this problem)

2) Plotted the graphs (x vs y) for both functions, and determined which curve formed the lower and upper boundary of the region

3) Equated the expressions for the functions to solve for the intersection points.

That gave me:

[tex] \int_0^4 {(-y^2 + 4y)dy} = \left[-\frac{y^3}{3} + 2y^2\right]_0^4 [/tex]

[tex] = -\frac{64}{3} + 32 = -\frac{64}{3} + \frac{96}{3} = \frac{32}{3} [/tex]

According to you, that's not the answer! I don't know what's going on with this problem.
 
  • #6
buffgilville said:
cepheid, I followed what you did and still got -32/3 for #2, but the correct answer is -16/3

Where did you get the "correct" answer from? Does it bother you that your question asked for an area and this solution is negative? (you might want to check cepheid's anwser for #1 as well)
 

What is the purpose of calculating the area of a region using calculus?

Calculating the area of a region using calculus allows us to find the exact area of irregularly shaped regions, instead of just estimating it. It also allows us to find the area of regions that cannot be easily calculated using basic geometric formulas.

What are the basic steps for finding the area of a region using calculus?

The basic steps for finding the area of a region using calculus are:

  1. Identify the boundaries of the region.
  2. Set up the integral by integrating the function that describes the boundary curve.
  3. Determine the limits of integration.
  4. Integrate the function and evaluate the definite integral.

Can calculus be used to find the area of three-dimensional regions?

Yes, calculus can also be used to find the volume of three-dimensional regions. Instead of finding the area under a curve, we find the volume under a surface, known as a double integral.

What is the difference between finding the area using a definite integral and an indefinite integral?

A definite integral is used to find the exact area of a region between two points, while an indefinite integral gives the general antiderivative of a function. In other words, a definite integral gives a specific numerical value, while an indefinite integral gives a function.

What are some real-life applications of finding the area of a region using calculus?

Calculating the area of a region using calculus has many real-life applications, such as:

  • Determining the amount of paint needed to cover a curved surface.
  • Calculating the area under a temperature curve to find the total heat transfer.
  • Estimating the total cost of a loan by finding the area under a curve representing the interest rate.

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