5.

2 Definite Integrals

Greg Kelly, Hanford High School, Richland, Washington

1
V t2 1
8

When we find the area

under a curve by adding
rectangles, the answer is
called a Rieman sum.
The width of a rectangle is
called a subinterval.

subinterval

The entire interval is

called the partition.

partition
Subintervals do not all have to be the same size.

1
V t2 1
8

If the partition is denoted by P, then

the length of the longest subinterval
is called the norm of P and is
denoted by P .

subinterval

As P gets smaller, the

approximation for the area gets
better.

partition
n

Area lim f ck xk
P 0

k 1

if P is a partition
of the interval a, b

lim f ck xk
P 0

is called the definite integral of

k 1

over

a, b .

If we use subintervals of equal length, then the length of a

subinterval is:

ba
x
n

The definite integral is then given by:

n

lim f ck x
n

k 1

lim f ck x
n

k 1

Leibnitz introduced a simpler notation

for the definite integral:

lim f ck x f x dx
n

k 1

Note that the very small change

in x becomes dx.

upper limit of integration

Integration
Symbol

f x dx

integrand
lower limit of integration

variable of integration
(dummy variable)
It is called a dummy variable
because the answer does not
depend on the variable chosen.

f x dx

We have the notation for integration, but we still need

to learn how to evaluate the integral.

In section 5.1, we considered an object moving at a

constant rate of 3 ft/sec.
Since rate . time = distance:

3t d

If we draw a graph of the velocity, the distance that the

object travels is equal to the area under the line.
After 4 seconds,
the object has
gone 12 feet.

velocity

ft
3
4 sec 12 ft
sec
time

If the velocity varies:

1
v t 1
2
Distance:

1 2
s t t
4

(C=0 since s=0 at t=0)

After 4 seconds:

1
s 16 4
4

s 8

1
Area 1 3 4 8
2

The distance is still

equal to the area
under the curve!
Notice that the area is a trapezoid.

1 2
What if: v t 1
8

We could split the area under the curve into a lot of thin
trapezoids, and each trapezoid would behave like the large
one in the previous example.
It seems reasonable that the distance will equal the area
under the curve.

ds 1 2
v
t 1
dt 8
1 3
s t t
24
1 3
s
4 4
24
2
s6
3

2
The area under the curve 6
3
We can use anti-derivatives to
find the area under a curve!

Lets look at it another way:

Aa x area under the

curve from a to x.
Let

(a is a constant)

x xh

Aa x Ax x h
Aa x h

Then:

Aa x Ax x h Aa x h
Ax x h Aa x h Aa x

min f

max f

xh

The area of a rectangle drawn

under the curve would be less
than the actual area under the
curve.
The area of a rectangle drawn
above the curve would be
more than the actual area
under the curve.

short rectangle area under curve tall rectangle

h min f Aa x h Aa x h max f
min f

Aa x h Aa x
h

max f

min f

Aa x h Aa x
h

max f

As h gets smaller, min f and max f get closer together.

lim
h 0

Aa x h Aa x
h

f x

d
Aa x f x
dx
initial
value
Take the anti-derivative
of both
sides to find an explicit formula
for area.

AaThis
F definition
x c
x is the
of derivative!

Aa a F a c
0 F a c
F a c

min f

Aa x h Aa x
h

max f

As h gets smaller, min f and max f get closer together.

lim
h 0

Aa x h Aa x
h

f x

d
Aa x f x
dx
Aa x F x F a

Aa x F x c
Aa a F a c
0 F a c
F a c

Area under curve from a to x = antiderivative at x minus

antiderivative at a.

Area

lim f ck xk
P 0

k 1

f x dx
a

F x F a

Example:

yx

Find the area under the curve from

x=1 to x=2.

x dx
2

1 3
x
3 1

1 3 1
2 1
3
3
8 1 7

3 3 3

Area
from
Areax=from
Area
under
thex=0
curve from
1 to x=0
x=2.
to x=2
to x=1

Example:

yx

Find the area under the curve from

x=1 to x=2.
To do the same problem on the TI-89:

x ^ 2, x,1, 2
2nd

ENTER

Example:
Find the area between the

y cos x
3 .
from x 0 to
x
2
x-axis and the curve

2
0

3
2

cos x dx cos x dx
/2

3 / 2

sin x 0 sin x / 2

sin sin 0
2

sin
sin
2

1 0 1 1

3
2

pos.

neg.

On the TI-89:

abs cos x , x, 0,3 / 2

3
If you use the absolute
value function, you
dont need to find the
roots.