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Ch. 6 - Applications of Integration
Briggs - Calculus: Early Transcendentals 3rd Edition
Briggs3rd EditionCalculus: Early TranscendentalsISBN: 9780136847243Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 6, Problem 6.2.1

Set up a sum of two integrals that equals the area of the shaded region bounded by the graphs of the functions f and g on [a, c] (see figure). Assume the curves intersect at x=b.
Graph showing two curves, f(x) and g(x), with a shaded area between them from x=a to x=c, intersecting at x=b.

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Identify the points of intersection of the two functions, which are given as x = a, x = b, and x = c. The shaded region lies between these points.
Determine which function is on top and which is on the bottom in each subinterval. From the graph, on the interval [a, b], the function f(x) is above g(x), and on the interval [b, c], the function g(x) is above f(x).
Set up the integral for the area on the interval [a, b] as the integral of the difference between the top function and the bottom function: \(\int_{a}^{b} (f(x) - g(x)) \, dx\).
Set up the integral for the area on the interval [b, c] as the integral of the difference between the top function and the bottom function: \(\int_{b}^{c} (g(x) - f(x)) \, dx\).
Express the total shaded area as the sum of the two integrals: \(\int_{a}^{b} (f(x) - g(x)) \, dx + \int_{b}^{c} (g(x) - f(x)) \, dx\).

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Key Concepts

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Definite Integrals and Area Under a Curve

A definite integral calculates the net area between a function's graph and the x-axis over a specific interval. When the function lies above the x-axis, the integral represents the area directly; if below, it represents the negative area. Understanding this helps in setting up integrals to find areas bounded by curves.
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