Trying to find the area between two curves

In summary, the problem involves finding the area of the region between a circle with radius 1 and the curve y = |2x|. One approach is to find the equation of the circle and subtract the area of the triangle from the total area of the rectangle. This can be done by finding the area under the circle curve along the x-axis and subtracting the area outside the triangle. The region of integration will be where the circle intersects the triangle. The equation of the circle will be needed to find the area under it, and the rest of the process involves splitting up the area in that region to find the area of the triangle.
  • #1
Triathlete
33
0
A circle with radius 1 touches the curve y = |2x| in two places(see attachment for picture). Find the area of the region that lies between the curves.

I am having a tough time with this one. I figured I could put the radius in a spot where it would form a right angle on the line, then try and split the area into two large rectangles, and then subtract the corresponding sectors of the circle from the volume.
Only problem is, there aren't really any numbers so even though I know how to use integration to find the arc length for the sectors, I don't know WHAT to integrate or what my limits of integration would be. I can't seem to find a good place to start. Any help would be appreciated.
 

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  • #2
I have attached another picture that may better explain my 'game plan'.
 

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  • #3
Hey Triathlete.

There are (like all problems in mathematics) many ways to do the problem, but one suggestion is to find the equation of the circle and find the difference of the triangle and that of the cone.

Note that if you integrate with respect to the x-axis then what you will get is the area under the circle which will look like a skate-ramp with a block under-neath it.

You can use the idea that the area of the triangle-part can be decomposed from the rectangular part to get the area of the region outside of the triangle.

When you have the area under the circle curve along the x-axis and the region outside the triangle, you take (1) - (2) and you will get the area of the triangle.

So your region of integration will be where the circle intersects the triangle. Then you need to get the equation for your circle so you can find the area under that and the rest relies on splitting up the area in that region to get the triangle separated from the whole rectangle.
 

Related to Trying to find the area between two curves

1. What is the process for finding the area between two curves?

The process for finding the area between two curves involves setting up an integral, integrating the function, and then evaluating the integral at the limits of integration.

2. How do I know which curve to use for the upper and lower limits of integration?

The curve with the higher y-values should be used as the upper limit of integration, while the curve with the lower y-values should be used as the lower limit of integration.

3. Can I use any method to find the area between two curves?

The most common method for finding the area between two curves is by using integration. However, other methods such as the trapezoidal rule or Simpson's rule can also be used.

4. What if the two curves intersect multiple times?

If the two curves intersect multiple times, the area can be split into smaller regions and integrated separately for each region.

5. Is there a specific formula for finding the area between two curves?

There is no specific formula for finding the area between two curves. However, the general formula for finding the area under a curve can be used by setting up the appropriate limits of integration.

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