Unit 8: Area Between Curves

DAY TOPIC ASSIGNMENT

1 Area Between Two Curves p. 9-10

2 Area Between Two Curves p. 11-12 (Worksheet)

3 Area Between Two Curves p. 13-14 (Worksheet)

4 Quiz

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Area Between Two Curves
Learning Objectives

A student will be able to:

 Compute the area between two curves with respect to the and axes.

In the last chapter, we introduced the definite integral to find the area between a curve and the axis over an interval
In this lesson, we will show how to calculate the area between two curves.

Consider the region bounded by the graphs and between and as shown in the figures below. If the two
graphs lie above the axis, we can interpret the area that is sandwiched between them as the area under the graph of
subtracted from the area under the graph

2
Therefore, as the graphs show, it makes sense to say that

[Area under (Fig. 1a)] [Area under (Fig. 1b)] [Area between and (Fig. 1c)],

This relation is valid as long as the two functions are continuous and the upper function on the interval

The Area Between Two Curves (With respect to the axis)

If and are two continuous functions on the interval and for all values of in the interval, then the
area of the region that is bounded by the two functions is given by

Example 1:

Find the area of the region enclosed between and

Solution:

We first make a sketch of the region (Figure 2) and find the end points of the region. To do so, we simply equate the two
functions,

and then solve for

from which we get and

So the upper and lower boundaries intersect at points and

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As you can see from the graph, and hence and in the interval Applying
the area formula,

Integrating,

So the area between the two curves and is

Sometimes it is possible to apply the area formula with respect to the coordinates instead of the coordinates. In
this case, the equations of the boundaries will be written in such a way that is expressed explicitly as a function of
(Figure 3).

The Area Between Two Curves (With respect to the axis)

If and are two continuous functions on the interval and for all values of in the interval, then the
area of the region that is bounded by on the left, on the right, below by and above by
is given by

Example 2:

Find the area of the region enclosed by and

Solution:

4
  

As you can see from Figure 4, the left boundary is and the right boundary is The region extends over
the interval However, we must express the equations in terms of We rewrite

Thus

Multimedia Links

For a video presentation of the area between two graphs (14.0)(16.0), see Math Video Tutorials by James Sousa, Area

Between Two Graphs (6:12) .

For an additional video presentation of the area between two curves (14.0)(16.0), see Just Math Tutoring, Finding

Areas Between Curves (9:50) .

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Review Questions

In problems #1 - 7, sketch the region enclosed by the curves and find the area.

1. on the interval
2. on the interval
3.
4. [0, 2]
5. integrate with respect to y
6.
7.
8. Find the area enclosed by and
9. If the area enclosed by the two functions and is 2, what is the value of k?
10. Find the horizontal line y = k that divides the region between and into two equal areas.

Review Answers

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
9
y 3
10. 4

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Area Between Two Curves Practice

Sketch the region bounded by the graphs of the functions and find the area of the region. You may use fnInt to
calculate the area, but graph without the aide of your calculator!
1.
f ( x )  x 2  4 x, g ( x )  0 2. f ( x)  x  2 x  1, g ( x)  x  1
2

3. y  2 x, y  4  2 x, y  0 4. f ( x)  x  x, g ( x )  2( x  2)
2

5. y  x  2 x  1, y  2 x, x  1 6. y  3 x  1, g ( x)  x  1
3

7. y  x  4 x  3, y  3  4 x  x 8. f ( y )  y , g ( y )  y  2
2 2 2

4
y  , y  x, x  1, x  4
9. x  y  2, x  0, y  1, y  2
2
10. x

Answers:
32 1 125
1. 3 2. 6 3. 2 4. 6 5. 2
3 64 9 9
6. 2 7. 3 8. 2 9. 9 10. 2

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 Area Between 2 Curves Practice
Find the area between the curves.

1.) x  y ; x  y  2
2

2.) y  4 x  4; 4 x  y  16
2

3.) x  y ; x  y
3

4.) y  x  x; y  2 x  4
2

5.) y  x  2 x  1; y  2 x; x  1
3

Answers:
2 4
9 125
 y  2    y  dy 
2
  2 x  4   x
2
 x  dx 
1.) 1
2 4.) 1
6

1
 16  y   y  4 
5 2

 x  2 x  1   2 x  dx  2
243
4  4   4  dy  8
3

2.) 5.) 1

8
 0 1
1
y  y dy   y  y 3 dy 
3

2
3.) 1 0

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Day 1
Find the area bounded by the graphs of the functions. Remember to sketch the graphs if they are not
already given and find the intersections first then write and evaluate your integral.

1. f ( x )  x  2 x  1 & g ( x)  2 x  5
2

2. f ( x )  x  4 x  3 & g ( x )   x  2 x  3
2 2

*Continue on next page

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3. f ( x)  x 2  2 x  1 & g ( x )  x  1

f ( x)  x 2  x & g ( x)  2  x  2 
4.

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Day 2
Calculus X Name_______________________________
More Area Between Curves WS

As per the new usual, I will be collecting this. It is worth 10 points, 7 for completion and 3
for the correctness of 3 randomly chosen problems.

Find the area bounded by the graphs of the functions. Remember to sketch the graphs and find the intersections
first then write and evaluate your integral.

1. f ( x )  3  2 x  x & g ( x )  0
2

2. f ( x)   x 4 x  2 & g ( x)  x  2
2

1
y & y  0 between x  1, x  5
3. x2

*Continue on next page 12

4. f ( x )  x ( x  3x  3) & g ( x )  x
2 2

5. f ( x)  x & g ( x)  x
3

6. f ( x )  x  5 x  6 & g ( x)  6 x  6
2

7. y  x  2 x & y  2 x
4 2 2

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Day 3
Calculus X Name_______________________________
Area Between Curves WS

Find the area bounded by the graphs of the functions. Remember to sketch the graphs and find the intersections
first then write and evaluate your integral.

1. f ( x )  x  4 x & g ( x )  0
2

2. f ( x)   x 4 x  1 & g ( x)  x  1
2

3. f ( x )  x 2
& g ( x )  x 3

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4. f ( x )  x  2 x  1 & g ( x)  2 x  5
2
*Continue on next page

5. f ( x)  x & g ( x)  x  2
2

6. f ( x)  x (2  x) & g ( x)   x

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