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Ch. 8 - Techniques of Integration
Hass - Thomas' Calculus 15th Edition
Hass15th EditionThomas' CalculusISBN: 9780137616077Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 8, Problem 8.4.63

Find the average value of f(x) = (√(x + 1)) / √x on the interval [1, 3].

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Recall the formula for the average value of a function \(f(x)\) on the interval \([a, b]\): \[\text{Average value} = \frac{1}{b - a} \int_a^b f(x) \, dx\]
Identify the function and interval: here, \(f(x) = \frac{\sqrt{x + 1}}{\sqrt{x}}\) and the interval is \([1, 3]\). So, \(a = 1\) and \(b = 3\).
Rewrite the function to simplify the integral: \[f(x) = \frac{\sqrt{x + 1}}{\sqrt{x}} = \sqrt{\frac{x + 1}{x}} = \sqrt{1 + \frac{1}{x}}\]
Set up the integral for the average value: \[\frac{1}{3 - 1} \int_1^3 \sqrt{1 + \frac{1}{x}} \, dx = \frac{1}{2} \int_1^3 \sqrt{1 + \frac{1}{x}} \, dx\]
To evaluate the integral, consider substitution or algebraic manipulation to simplify the integrand before integrating. After finding the integral, multiply by \(\frac{1}{2}\) to get the average value.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Average Value of a Function

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