Meghan Frisch

Professor Frances McCue

Honors 205
21 November 2016
Understanding Integrals
(Integral)
Have you ever wondered what this (arrow up
to integral) means? I know I have! That
thing is something

called an integral, and when we learn a little more about its background and
what we use it for, it becomes quite easy to understand.
In math class now, whether you are in 5th or 7th grade, you are using multiplication and
addition! These are the basic tools we use to find integrals. But, if we are asked to find the
distance we travel to get to school, whether that be by car, bus, bike, or our own two feet, and we
are only given the equation of our velocity (something very similar to speed) during the trip,
what would we do? When we travel to school, our velocity will change. So, to find the distance
between our home and school, we have to account for the entire trip and the places where our
velocity changes. This cannot be found simply with multiplication and addition, we have to use
an integral.
But, first things first. Lets understand where this funky thing called an integral came
from, and why it was invented.

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Chapter 1:
Where did this thing come from?

The idea of the integral is thought to have been used by people as old as the Greeks to
find the area of objects for trade. This was mainly with trading objects in the shape of a circle.
From our math classes, we know that the area of a circle is (pi)(r)^2, where r is the radius of
the circle, but what if we did not know what pi was (and I am not talking about that apple stuff
we eat at Thanksgiving)? This is where people used the idea of an integral: they split the circle
up into shapes they knew how to find the area of, and added these areas together! We could do
this ourselves to find the area of a drum or a frisbey, adding together lots of rectangles and
triangles to approximate their actual area! This process was used before calculus was officially
created, but it is essentially the idea of what an integral is. The definition of an integral was not
officially developed until the years between 1600 and 1700 by Mr. Isaac Newton and Mr.
Gottfried Leibniz. These guys defined an integral as the sum of many rectangles with really
small widths (very similar to how the Greek guys did it). They also came up with the
Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, which was essential in the development and use of the
integral (it was, and is, a big deal). We will look into what the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus
and what this thing with the rectangles are a little bit later! Other people and processes also
added to the idea and development of integrals, but, in light of what we will be going over,
Leibniz and Newton are the dudes we want to know about.
Integrals make it possible to analyze things that are infinitesimal (super small). They put
really complicated things into a form that we can understand and use to solve things we cant do

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with basic multiplication and addition. Integrals are one of two important parts of Calculus. The
other important part is the concept of derivatives, which are closely related to integrals. We will
discuss their relationship and exactly what integrals and derivatives are a little later.
But why do we need integrals? Integrals are used in many jobs that are necessary to have
all the gadgets and luxuries we take for granted (like electricity!). Some of the areas of
knowledge that use integrals include physics, economics, engineering, medicine, and statistics.
For example, in physics, the concepts of motion, heat, light, and electricity all use integrals and
other concepts of calculus! So, without calculus, we would not have anything to charge our
phones or power our computers with (thanks Mr. Newton and Mr. Leibniz!). In economics,
calculus helps economists predict what is the most money that they can make in a specific
context. In medicine and biology, calculus is used to find rates like death rates and birth rates.
Integrals give us the opportunity to create complicated mathematical models that help us find
information that can influence decisions and lifestyles across the world. So, integrals and
calculus are really important to our society and the way it runs!

Chapter 2:
What is an Integral?

Before we talk about what an integral is, we have to talk about what a derivative is. A
derivative is the slope of a graph. When a graph is super curvy, like a slithering snake, its slope
will be different in different spots; the slope changes. So, if we freeze our slithering snake in

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place, and pretend it is a curve on a graph, its slope at point A is different than its slope at point
B.
(depiction)
Therefore, the derivative of a curvy graph will be a function, because it represents
something that is changing. Functions are a fancy name for equation, where variables (x, y, z)
represent the changing part of the situation. So for our trip to school, our changing variable
would be time, because our distance to school (and our velocity on our way to school) depends
on how much time we have been moving.
Now that we understand the basics of what a derivative is, we can explain integrals.
integrals are simply the opposite of derivatives. To find the integral of something, you find the
derivative backwards. Weird, right? But, it is actually quite simple.
If we think about the units of our trip to school, and we are looking at the distance graph,
the derivative (remember this is the slope!) of each part of the graph will have the units
(distance) / (time). This slope (derivative) is the velocity we are moving. This is the first concept
we must understand.
(depiction of graph comparison)
The second concept we must understand is that when we find the integral of the velocity
graph, we are doing the opposite of what we did when finding the derivative of the distance
graph. Finding the derivative of the distance graph gives us the velocity graph, and finding the
integral of the velocity graph will give us the distance graph. So, when we find the integral of the
velocity graph, we are changing our units from (distance) / (time) to just (distance). This idea is

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defined in a calculus rule called the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus which we will discuss
more about later.
To do this, the integral splits up the velocity graph into many sections and adds the areas
of these sections together. In doing this, the integral is multiplying the y-axis (or height of the
rectangle), by the x-axis (or width of the rectangle). You could also look at this as the integral
multiplying the y-axis units, (distance) / (time), by the x-axis units, (time). This multiplication
results in the distance we travelled from home; we returned to the units of (distance). This is the
third concept we must understand.
(depiction of these calculations)
So, an integral is the opposite of a derivative, but what is an antiderivative? An
antiderivative is a fancy name for a type of integral. There are two kinds of integrals: definite and
indefinite. An antiderivative is an indefinite integral. So what is the difference between a
definite and indefinite integral, then? A definite integral is defined between two numbers; it has
a definite start and a definite end. So, for our trip to school, we would use a definite integral to
find the distance we travelled between the time we left home (0 minutes) and the time we arrived
at school (15 minutes). Definite integrals will give us an exact answer. An indefinite integral is
not defined between two numbers; the interval spans indefinitely (forever).
(cartoon)
In an indefinite integral, you find the antiderivative of the equation within the integral.
You do this in a definite integral as well, but because it has a starting and ending point, you have
the extra step of plugging those numbers in (which we will explain how to do a little later). The
answer to an antiderivative and an indefinite integral looks like an equation with a +C at the

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end. This means that any constant (number) could be added to this equation, and it would still be
right. In a definite integral, this +C gets cancelled out and is therefore not included in the
answer.
But how do we know if an integral is definite or indefinite? The answer to this question is
at the beginning of the integral notation. You may have noticed the funky S shape of the
integral. This sign just means you integrate, but when there is a number above and below this
funky shape, you know that it is a definite integral. The number below this shape represents the
starting point of the interval, and the number above the shape represents the endpoint of the
interval. So, for our trip to school, our integral could look like this:
(Integral)
,with 0 representing the start time of our trip, 15 representing the end time, and f(x)
representing the velocity function with variable x. Considering what we are discussing in this
book, we do not need to completely understand the meaning of the dx in the integral, although
it should be mentioned that it is required in its notation. In regards to the intervals bounds, if
there are no numbers above or below the integral S, the integral is indefinite because the
interval is not defined.

Chapter 3:
How do we find Integrals?

Weve talked about this a little bit, but lets go over it again all in one section. To find an
integral exactly, we find the antiderivative of the inner equation. If the integral is an indefinite

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integral, we leave the answer as the antiderivative (dont forget the +C!). If the integral is a
definite integral, we use the upper and lower bounds to find the exact answer. The process we
use to do this is called the....
. FUNDAMENTAL THEOREM OF CALCULUS!
The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus was invented by our friends Mr. Newton and Mr.
Leibniz, remember? This rule says that when you find a definite integral, you subtract the
antiderivative of the inner function with the lower bound plugged in, from the same
antiderivative with the upper bound plugged in. In words, this process seems more difficult than
it actually is. So, well look at it from another perspective. When we are trying to find the
distance we have travelled from home (at 0 minutes) to school (at 15 minutes) and we have been
given the velocity function of the car, we find the antiderivative of the velocity equation
(remember the units for velocity are (distance) / (time)!) so that we have a distance equation
(remember this is because we multiply velocity by time). Then, A: we plug in the upper bound
(when we arrive at school = 15 minutes) into this distance equation and B: plug in the lower
bound (when we leave home = 0 minutes) into the same distance equation. Finally, we subtract B
from A (A - B), and, tada! We have found the definite integral! And how far we travelled to get
from home to school.
(depiction)
The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus also tells us that the derivative of an integral is
the same as the inner equation of the integral. So, if we find the indefinite integral of a velocity
equation, we get the distance equation, and when we take the derivative of the distance equation,
we get the velocity equation. If you remember, we talked about this concept in Chapter 2!

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(depiction)
Visually, we can also think of integrals as the area under the graph of the function within
the integral. This is based on the idea Newton and Leibniz came up with that an integral is an
infinite (the biggest number you can think of) sum of rectangles with infinitesimal (the smallest
number you can think of) thickness. The wider these rectangles are, the less accurate the
summation of their areas are in representing the integral-- the summation turns into an
approximation.
(depiction)
Therefore, to approximate the distance we travelled on our way to school, we could plot
our velocity at every minute, and draw rectangles with the width as 1 (1 minute) and the height
as the velocity at that specific time. When we add these rectangles together, we are finding the
summation, which is the general idea of an integral. If we did this same thing, but we plotted our
velocity every millisecond, or even smaller, we would get closer and closer to the actual area
under the curve, and therefore the actual value of the integral. The multiplication, addition, and
graphing skills we learn in just 5th grade help us find integrals!
(depiction)

Chapter 4:
What can we use an integral to find?

Integrals are a tough concept to grasp, but once we do, they open doors to understanding
the complex and confusing processes necessary to make the stuff we take for granted actually

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work. Earlier, we talked about using integrals to find the area below a curve, velocity, and
displacement (distance), but we can also use integrals to find things like the work needed to
move an object, the volume of an object, or the acceleration of an object. Which brings me to
what I like to call the...
...3 MAGIC TRICKS OF INTEGRALS!
#1: Volume
The first of the three tricks is finding the volume of an object with an integral.
With integrals, we can turn a 2-Dimensional graph (flat graph) into a 3-Dimensional
graph, just like we can watch Shrek or Star Wars in 2-D or 3-D at the movie theatre. We
can find volumes of donuts, ice cream cones, peppermints, soda cans-- anything you can
think of, we can find the volume of them with a simple integral! We can draw all of these
shapes on graphs by rotating a curve around an axis or line, or by understanding the
cross-sectioned shape (this just means that, for example, you could have a base of an
object that is a rectangle, but has a semi-circle roof, similar to if you cut a cylinder down
the middle).
(depiction)
Basically integrals can tell us whether you or your sibling got the bigger piece of
pie at Thanksgiving dinner. You didnt expect integrals to be so useful, did you?
#2: Work
When someone says work, we usually think of the job our parents go to, or the
homework we have to do for school. But the kind of work Im talking about here is the
energy it takes to do something. This may be the energy it takes to stretch a slinky across

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a room or the energy it takes to pull a bucket out of a well, but either way, the definition
of work remains the same. To find work, we multiply force and distance. If we are
finding work at a specific point in time, we can plug in the values and find an answer
right away. But, if we are finding work of something that has a changing variable, we
have to use an integral (remember that we use integrals when something is changing!). In
the case of the slinky and the bucket, we have to use an integral because the force we
exert changes according to how far weve stretched the slinky and how much rope we
have pulled up, not to mention whether or not the bucket is leaking water! But, I am
getting ahead of myself. Just know that integrals can tell us how much work you need to
apply to set your slingshot or pick up that tasty cookie your mom told you not to eat.
#3: Distance, Velocity, and Acceleration
We have already talked about this magic trick a few times with finding the
distance we travelled between home and school, but we havent talked about acceleration.
These three types of equations are related in that acceleration is the derivative of velocity,
and velocity is the derivative of distance (and, fun fact, the derivative of acceleration is
called a jerk, so you arent actually saying a mean word to your sibling(s)-- just that they
are the derivative of acceleration). Which, because of the Fundamental Theorem of
Calculus, we know means that distance is the antiderivative of velocity and velocity is the
antiderivative of acceleration (remember that an antiderivative is the same as an
indefinite integral!). In our school example, we only talked about the relationship
between distance and velocity, but this relationship expands to acceleration as well!
Acceleration is how much an object speeds up or slows down. So, we can find our

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velocity at soccer practice when all we know is how much we are speeding up or slowing
down, thanks to integrals!

Integrals arent actually magic, but they are certainly really cool. After all, they do help
us find neat things, even with little information to go off of! Integrals are a very useful tool, and
all of the processes and concepts you learn in math class, even in 5th grade, will contribute to
helping you learn how to do integrals. Every topic we learn in math class sets the stage for the
next, so soak up as much as you can and youll see how fun (and nifty!) math can be!