WTW 164

Unit 2.7: Area between two

curves
Dr HR (Maya) Thackeray
<maya.thackeray@up.ac.za>
Area between two curves (integrating over x)
Let f and g be continuous functions on [a,b].
The area between the curves y = f(x) and y = g(x) from x = a to x = b is
.
Area between two curves (integrating over y)
Let f and g be continuous functions on [c,d].
The area between the curves x = f(y) and x = g(y) from y = c to y = d is
.
Questions (page 1)
• What is the area enclosed by the curves y = x2 + 2, y = 2x, x = 0, and x
= 1?
Solution. We have (x2 + 2) – (2x) = (x2 – 2x + 1) + 1 = (x – 1)2 + 1 > 0.
We have = =
= –1+2–0=.
Therefore, the area is .
Questions (page 2)
• Find the area bounded by the curves y = ex, y = 1 – x, x = –1, and x = 1.
Solution.
= +
= + = –1 – (–1 – – e–1) + (e – 1 + ) – 1
= –1 + + e–1 + e – – 1 = e + – 1.
Therefore, the area is e + – 1.
Questions (page 3)
• Find the area between the curves y = , y = , and y = 0.
Solution 1 (integrating with respect to y). The first two curves are y2 = x
and y2 = 2x – 1, that is, x = y2 and x = (y2 + 1)/2 respectively (restricted to
y 0).
Their intersection satisfies y2 = (y2 + 1)/2, so 2y2 = y2 + 1, so y2 – 1 = 0, so
(y – 1)(y + 1) = 0, so y = 1 (since y is not –1). The intersection is (1,1).
= = = = =.
Therefore, the area is .
Questions (page 4)
Solution 2 (integrating with respect to x). The intersection of the first
two curves is (1,1) (it satisfies = , so x = 2x – 1, so x = 1).
+
= +
= + – – = . Therefore, the area is .