Subject: MAT060.

Calculus with Analytic Geometry I

Chapter: 6

Chapter Title: Plane Areas in Cartesian Coordinates

Time Frame: 6 hrs

Chapter Objectives:
1. To sketch the graph of the area of the region.
2. To know how to use definite integrals to measure the area between two curves.
3. To know how to determine whether to integrate with respect to x or with respect to y when
we try to find the area of a region.
Introduction:
The integral is useful for calculating areas of regions, lengths of curves, and volumes of figures
which have complicated shapes. In fact, one of the principal motivations for developing the integral
is the goal of measuring lengths and areas in cases where the elementary methods of Euclidean
geometry fail. In this chapter, we show how to use the integral in making such calculations.
There are no exact formulas to be followed in solving for the areas. You really need the following
steps, namely:
1.) Make a sketch of the region to be determined. Use a pencil to shade the entire region.
2.) Either draw a general vertical rectangular element or a horizontal rectangular element inside
the region drawn in step 1. This drawn element is often called as a strip. Use a ball pen to
draw a strip.
3.) Corresponding to the drawn strip, determine its area. The area of the strip is commonly
denoted by dA.
4.) Determine the limits of integration from the figure and integrate to obtain the area of the
region in step 1.

1 Plane Areas in Cartesian Coordinates

Example 1.1 Find the area bounded by y = 3x and y = x2 .
Solution: (using VERTICAL STRIP)
We need to find the points of intersection of the line y = 3x and the parabola y = x2 .

3x = x2 y = 3x y = x2
x 0 3 x 0 1 2 3
x2 − 3x = 0
y 0 9 y 0 1 4 9
x(x − 3) = 0
x = 0, and x = 3
At x = 0, we get y = 0
At x = 3, we get y = 9.
The points of intersection are (0, 0) and (3, 9). The graph of the region is shown in the figure
below.
dA = L dx = (3x − x2 )dx
Z 3 Z 3  2 3
2 3x x3 27 27 27 9
Thus, A = dA = (3x − x )dx = − = − = −9= .
0 0 2 3 0 2 3 2 2

1
2nd Solution (using HORIZONTAL STRIP)

√ y
dA = Ldy = y− dy
3
Z 9 Z 9 " 3
#9
√ y 2y 2 y2
A= dA = y− dy = −
0 0 3 3 6
0
" 3
#
2(9) 2 (9)2
= − −0
3 6
 
2(27) 81 27 9
= − = 18 − =
3 6 2 2

2
Example 1.2 Find the area bounded by y = x + 1 and y = 3 − x2 .

x + 1 = 3 − x2 y =x+1 y = 3 − x2
x -2 -1 0 1 x -2 -1 0 1 2
x2 + x − 2 = 0
Solution: y -1 0 1 2 y -1 2 3 2 -1
(x + 2)(x − 1) = 0
x = −2, and x = 1
At x = −2, we get y = −1
At x = 1, we get y = 2
Note: You should master the method of finding the vertex of a parabola.

dA = Ldx = [(3 − x2 ) − (x + 1)]dx

Thus,
Z 1
A= dA
−2
Z 1
= [(3 − x2 ) − (x + 1)]dx
−2
Z 1
= (−x2 − x + 2)dx
−2
1
−x3 x2

= − + 2x
3 2
  −2 
−1 1 −(−8) 4
= − +2 − − −4
3 2 3 2
−1 1 8
= − +2− +2+4
3 2 3
9
=
2

3
Example 1.3 Find the area bounded by x = y 2 and x = 3y + 4.

y 2 = 3y + 4 x = 3y + 4 x = y2
x 1 16 0 4 x 0 1 4 9 16
y 2 − 3y − 4 = 0
Solution: y -1 4 − 43 0 y 0 ±1 ±2 ±3 ±4
(y + 1)(y − 4) = 0
y = −1 and y = 4
At y = −1, we get x = 1
At y = 4, we get x = 16
Graph

dA = Ldy = [(3y + 4) − y 2 ]dy

Thus,
Z 4 Z 4
125
A= dA = (4y + 4 − y 2 )dy =
−1 −1 6

Example 1.4 Find the area bounded by the lines y = x, 3x + y = 20, and y = 0.

3x + y = 20 y=x 3x + y = 20
x 0 5 x 5 20 3
3x + x = 20
Solution: y 0 5 y 5 0
4x = 20
x=5
At x = 5, we get y = 5. So, the lines y = x and 3x + y = 20 intersect at the point (5, 5).
Further, the lines y = x and y = 0 intersect at (0, 0) and the lines 3x + y = 20 and y = 0 at
(20/3, 0). Thus the region that we are looking for is a triangular region whose vertices are (0, 0),
(5, 5), and (20/3, 0). See the figure below:
 
20 − y 20 − 4y
dA = Ldy = − y dy = dy
3 3

Thus,
5 5 5 
4y 2
 
20 − 4y
Z Z
20 100 100 50
A= dA = dy = y− = − −0= .
0 0 3 3 6 0 3 6 3

4
Example 1.5 Find the area bounded the curves y 2 = x and y 2 = 2 − x.

x=2−x x = y2 x = 2 − y2
Solution: x 0 1 x √0 1 2
2x = 2
y 0 ±1 y 2 ±1 0
At x = 1, we get y = ±1.
The curves intersect at the points (1, 1) and (1, −1).

dA = Ldy = [(x − y 2 ) − y 2 ]dy = (2 − 2y 2 )dy.

Z 1
Thus, A = (2 − 2y 2 )dy
−1
or because of symmetry
Z 1 1
2y 3
  
2 2 8
A=2 (2 − 2y )dy = 2 2y − =2 2− − 2(0) = .
0 3 0 3 3

5
Example 1.6 Find the area of the region between y = x and y = x3 − 3x.

x3 − 3x = x Note: To plot the curve y = x3 − 3x, you should apply the techniques that was
x3 − 4x = 0 presented in the previous chapter.
Solution:
x(x2 − 4) = 0 The curve y = x3 − 3x has rel. maxat (−1, 2) and rel. min. at (1, −2)and
√ √
x = −2,0, 2 that itpassed through the x − axisat the points (− 3, 0), (0, 0), and ( 3, 0).
y=x y = x3 − 3x
x −2 0 2 x −2 −1 0 1 2
y −2 0 2 y −2 2 0 −2 2

Graph

dA1 = L1 dx = [(x3 − 3x) − x]dx = (x3 − 4x)dx

and

dA2 = L2 dx = [x − (x3 − 3x)]dx = (4x − x3 )dx

Thus,

A = A1 + A2
Z 0 Z 2
= dA1 + dA2
−2 0
Z 0 Z 2
3
= (x − 4x)dx + (4x − x3 )dx
−2 0
 4 0 2
x4

x 2 2
= − 2x + 2x −
4 −2 4 0
= [(0 − 0) − (4 − 8)] + [(8 − 4) − (0 − 0)]
=4+4
=8

6
Example 1.7 Find the area of the region bounded by the lines x = 1, x = 3, x − 2y − 1 = 0, and
the parabola y = 4x − x2 .

x − 2y − 1 = 0
or
x−1
Solution: y=
2
x 1 3 0
y 0 1 − 12
Note: The vertex of the parabola is either relative max or relative min, and so the critical point
of the graph is indeed the vertex.
To solve the critical point, we consider the following computations:
y = 4x − x2
y 0 = 4 − 2x = 0
x = 2, so that y = 4.
Thus, the vertex of the parabola is at the point (2, 4).
y = 4x − x2
x 0 1 2 3 4
y 0 3 4 3 0
Graph:

1
dA = Ldx = [(4x − x2 ) − (x − 1)]dx
2

7
Thus,
Z 3
A= dA
1
Z 3
1 1
= (4x − x2 − x + )dx
1 2 2
 3 2
3
x x x
= 2x2 − − +
3 4 2
  1 
27 9 3 1 1 1
= 18 − − + − 2− − +
3 4 2 3 4 2
27 1 9 1 3 1
= 18 − 2 − + − + + −
3 3 4 4 2 2
26 8 2
= 16 − − +
3 4 2
26
= 16 − −2+1
3
26
= 15 −
3
19
=
3
Exercises 1.8 Find the area of the region bounded by

(a) the curve y = −x2 + 4x − 3 and the line y = x − 3;

(b) the curve x = y 2 − y − 6 and the line x = 2y + 4;

(c) the curve x = y 2 + 1 and the lines x = 5, y = −3, y = 3;

(d) the curve y = x3 and the lines x = 0, y = 3; and

(e) the curve y = x2 and the lines y = 2 − x, y = 1.