U-substitution for Area of a SemiCircle

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the integration of a function representing a parabolic curve, specifically the area under the curve defined by the equation ∫[-(x-1)² + 1]dx over the interval (0, 2). Participants explore the use of u-substitution in the integration process and the expectations regarding the area in relation to a semicircle.

Discussion Character

  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Homework-related
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about their understanding of integrals and the correctness of their integration process, leading to an unexpected result when calculating the area.
  • Another participant clarifies that the curve in question is a parabola, not a semicircle, which may affect the area approximation.
  • A participant acknowledges the possibility that the parabolic curve may not closely approximate a semicircle over the specified interval.
  • One participant confirms that the integral evaluates to 4/3, agreeing with the initial calculation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the result of the integral being 4/3, but there is disagreement regarding the nature of the curve and its relation to a semicircle, with some participants questioning the appropriateness of the approximation.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights potential limitations in understanding the relationship between the parabolic curve and a semicircle, as well as the implications of using u-substitution in this context. There is also uncertainty regarding the accuracy of the integrals performed.

Who May Find This Useful

Students or individuals interested in integral calculus, particularly those exploring integration techniques and the geometric interpretation of integrals in relation to curves.

DahnBoson
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If anyone can help i seem to have reached a breakdown somewhere down the line or am simply lacking in some knowledge about integrals as i have not fully studied integrals, if i am trying to integrate a function from (0,2) let's say ∫[-(x-1)^2+1]dx this also equals -∫[(x-1)^2]dx+∫1dx ∫1dx=x so now i just need to integrate the other function so i use u-substitution to change x-1 into u u' should=1 after that using the following du/dx times dx=du in this equation du=dx now i have -∫[(u)^2]du which equals -1/3u^3 substitute x-1 for u an i have -1/3(x-1)^3 so the whole thing looks like this -1/3(x-1)^3+x so now i plug in 2 and 0 to get 5/3-1/3 which=4/3 which is 1.3333333333 when i expected an anwser closer to 1.5 but it might be that the curvature of the graph is not as close to the the curvature of a true circle as i originally thought.

Also on a side note i chose this equation because it seems like half a circle so i figured should get an area of about half a circle with a radius of 1 also inform me if this thinking is wrong.
 
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The curve is a parabola, not near a circle.
 
i thought that it would be close enough on the interval to give me a better approximation but yeah i started thinking that the curve might be too far off as well, could you tell me if the integrals are right? I wasn't a 100% on those
 
The integral = 4/3 (you are correct).
 
Thanks mathman appreciate it.
 

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