Integrating Curve y=x³ - 6x² + 9x + 16: Help Needed

In summary, the conversation is about finding the integral of a given curve and the resulting differences in answers. The individual initially gets an answer of -3/4 but the book gives 47.25. After receiving help, it is discovered that there was an error in the primitive function used.
  • #1
Briggs
34
0
I am having a little trouble on this problem for calculus..

Curve has equation y = x³ - 6x² + 9x + 16

I am asked to find [tex]\int_{-1}^{2} (x^3 - 6x^2 + 9x + 16) dx[/tex]
I get the answer to be -3/4 but the book gives the answer as 47.25. I do not know how the book got this. The way I found it was
[tex][\frac{x^4}{4} - \frac{6x^3}{3} + \frac{9x^2}{2}]_{-1}^{2}[/tex] and then putting x=2 and solving it then putting x=-1 and solving it then subtract the answer from x=-1 from x=2 so i found [tex](4-16+18)-(\frac{1}{4}--2+\frac{9}{2}) = \frac{-3}{4}[/tex]

It is important that I get this answer correct because It is needed for the next question of finding the area under a curve, could it just be that the book has an incorrect answer as it has known to be in the past or am i going about this completely the wrong way.
Thanks for any help you guys can provide
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Your primitive function is wrong. You need an extra term of 16x in there.
 
  • #3
The integral of any constant A is

[tex] \int A \ dx = Ax+\mathcal{C} [/itex]

,where [itex] \mathcal{C} [/itex] is an integration constant...

Daniel.
 
  • #4
Thanks for the help I see where I was going wrong there, I was a little confused about the constant thing thanks for clearing it up
 

FAQ: Integrating Curve y=x³ - 6x² + 9x + 16: Help Needed

1. What is integration?

Integration is a mathematical process that involves finding the area under a curve. It is essentially the reverse of differentiation, which involves finding the slope of a curve at a specific point.

2. How do I integrate a curve?

To integrate a curve, you need to follow specific rules and formulas based on the type of curve. For the curve y=x³ - 6x² + 9x + 16, you would need to use the power rule of integration, which states that the integral of x^n is (x^(n+1))/(n+1). So for our curve, the integral would be (x^4)/4 - (6x^3)/3 + (9x^2)/2 + 16x + C, where C is a constant of integration.

3. What is the purpose of integrating a curve?

The purpose of integrating a curve is to find the area under the curve, which can be used to solve various problems in mathematics, physics, and other fields. Integration also helps in finding the antiderivative of a function, which is useful in solving differential equations.

4. What are the steps for integrating a curve?

The general steps for integrating a curve are:

  1. Identify the type of curve and determine the appropriate integration rule.
  2. Simplify the curve if possible.
  3. Apply the integration rule to the curve to find the integral.
  4. Add a constant of integration to the result.

5. What is the difference between definite and indefinite integration?

Definite integration involves finding the area under a curve between two specific values, while indefinite integration involves finding the antiderivative of a function without any specific limits. In the context of our curve, definite integration would involve finding the area under the curve between two x-values, while indefinite integration would involve finding the general antiderivative of the curve.

Back
Top