Chapter 5

Applications of Definite Integral

5.1 Area Between Two Curves

In this section we use integrals to find areas of regions that lie between the graphs of
two functions.
Consider the region that lies between two curves y = f (x) and y = g(x) and between
the vertical lines x = a and x = b, where f and g are continuous functions and f (x) ≥
g(x) for all x in [a, b].
y
y = f (x)

a b x

y = g(x)
The area A of this region is
Z b  
A= f (x) − g(x) dx (5.1)
a

Example 5.1.

Find the area of the region enclosed by y = x2 , y = 4 − x2 , and x = 0.

Solution

100
MA111: Prepared by Asst.Prof.Dr. Archara Pacheenburawana 101

Example 5.2.
√
Find the area of the region bounded by y = x and y = − 41 x for 0 ≤ x ≤ 4.

Solution

Example 5.3.

Find the area bounded by the graphs of y = x2 +2 and y 2 = x+2 for −1 ≤ x ≤ 2.

Solution
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y
d

x = g(y)

x
x = f (y)
c

Some regions are best treated by regarding x as a function of y. If a region is bounded

by curves with equations x = f (y), x = g(y), y = c, and y = d, where f and g are
continuous and f (y) ≥ g(y) for c ≤ y ≤ d, then its area is
Z d  
A= f (y) − g(y) dy (5.2)
c

Example 5.4.

Find the area of the region bounded by the graphs of x = 1 − y 2 and y = x + 1.

Solution

Example 5.5.

Find the area of the region bounded by the curves x = y 2, y = x + 5, y = 2,

and y = −1.

Solution
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5.2 Volumes by Slicing: Disks and Washers

In this section we will use definite integral to find volumes of solid of revolution.

Method of Disks
Suppose that f (x) ≥ 0 and f is continuous on [a, b]. Take the region bounded by the
curve y = f (x) and the x-axis, for a ≤ x ≤ b and revolve it about the x-axis, generating
a solid.
y y
y = f (x) ≥ 0 y = f (x)

| | x | | x
a b a b

We can find the volume of this solid by slicing it perpendicular to the x-axis and recog-
nizing that each cross section is a circular disk of radius r = f (x). We then have that
the volume of the solid is
Z b
V = π[f (x)]2 dx
a | {z }
cross-sectional area = πr 2

Example 5.6.
√
Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by y = x
from x = 0 to x = 4 about the x-axis.

Solution
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In a similar way, suppose that g(y) ≥ 0 and g is continuous on the interval [c, d].
Then, revolving the region bounded by the curve x = g(y) and the y-axis, for c ≤ y ≤ d,
about the y-axis generates a solid.
y y

b b

x = g(x) x = g(x)
x x

c c

Once again, notice from Figure that the cross sections of the resulting solid of revolution
are circular disks of radius r = g(y). The volume of the solid is then given by
Z d
V = π[g(y)]2 dy
c | {z }
cross-sectional area = πr 2

Example 5.7.

Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by y =
x2
2− from x = 0 to x = 2 about the y-axis.
2

Solution
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Method of Washers
There are two complications that can be found in the types of volume calculations we
have been studying. The first of these is that you may need to compute the volume of
a solid that have a cavity or “hole” in it. The second of these occurs when a region is
revolved about a line other than the x-axis or the y-axis.
Suppose that f and g are nonnegative continuous function such that
g(x) ≤ f (x) for a ≤ x ≤ b
and let R be the region enclosed between the graphs of these functions and the lines
x = a and x = b.
y
y = f (x)

y = g(x)

x
a b

When this region is revolved about the x-axis, it generates a solid having annular
or washer-shaped cross sections. Since the cross section at x has inner radius g(x) and
outer radius f (x), its volume of the solid is
Z b n o
2 2
V = π [f (x)] − [g(x)] dx
a

Suppose that u and v are nonnegative continuous function such that

v(y) ≤ u(y) for c ≤ y ≤ d.
If R the region enclosed between the graphs of x = u(y) and x = v(y) and the lines y = c
and y = d.
y

d
x = v(y)

x = u(y)
c
x

When this region is revolved about the y-axis, it also generates a solid having annular
or washer-shaped cross sections. Since the cross section at y has inner radius v(y) and
outer radius u(y), its volume of the solid is
Z d n o
V = π [u(y)]2 − [v(y)]2 dy
c
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Example 5.8.

The region R enclosed by the curves y = 4 − x2 and y = 0. Find the volume of

the solid obtained by rotating the region R

(a) about the y-axis

(b) about the line y = −3

(c) about the line y = 7

(d) about the line x = 3

Solution
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Example 5.9.

Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by y =
x2
1+ and the line y = 2 about the line y = −2.
2

Solution

5.3 Volumes by Cylindrical Shells

A cylindrical shells is a solid enclosed by two concentric right-circular cylinders.

r2 b
r1

The volume V of a cylindrical shall having inner radius r1 , outer radius r2 , and height h
can be written as

V = [area of cross section] · [height]

= (πr22 − πr12 )h
= π(r2 + r1 )(r2 − r1 )h
 
r2 + r1
= 2π · · h · (r2 − r1 )
2
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r2 + r1
But is the average radius of the shell and r2 − r1 is its thickness, so
2
V = 2π · [average radius] · [height] · [thickness]

This formula can be used to find the volume of a solid of revolution.

Let R be a plane region bounded above by a continuous curve y = f (x), bounded
below by the x-axis, and bounded on the left and right, respectively, by the line x = a
and x = b.

y y

y = f (x) y = f (x)

| | x x
a b

The volume of the solid generated by revolving R about the y-axis is given by
Z b
V = 2π x
|{z} f (x) dx
|{z}
a |{z}
radius height thickness

Let R be a plane region bounded above by a continuous curve x = g(y), the y-axis,
and the line y = c and y = d.
y
d

x = g(y)

c
x

The volume of the solid generated by revolving R about the x-axis is given by
Z d
V = 2π y g(y) dy
c
|{z} |{z} |{z}
radius height thickness
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Example 5.10.

Find the volume of the solid obtained by rotating the region bounded by y = x
and y = x2 in the first quadrant about the y-axis.

Solution

Example 5.11.


The region bounded by the line y = hr x, the x-axis, and x = h is revolved
about the x-axis, thereby generating cone (assume r > 0, h > 0). Find it
volume by the shell method.

Solution
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5.4 Length of a Plane Curve

Arc Length Problem. Suppose f is continuous on [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b).
Find the arc length L of the curve y = f (x) over the interval [a, b].

In order to solve this problem, we begin by partitioning the interval [a, b] into n equal
pieces:
a = x0 < x1 < x2 < · · · < xn = b,
where
b−a
xi − xi−1 = ∆x = ,
n
for each i = 1, 2, . . . , n.
Between each pair if adjacent points on the curve,
(xi−1 , f (xi−1 )) and (xi , f (xi )) we approximate the are length ℓi by the straight-line dis-
tance between the two points.
y

f (xi ) + ℓi
b

f (xi−1 ) + b

| | x
xi−1 xi

From the usual distance formula, we have

p
ℓi ≈ (xi − xi−1 )2 + [f (xi ) − f (xi−1 )]2 .

Since f is continuous on all of [a, b] and differentiable on (a, b), f is also continuous
on the subinterval [xi−1 , xi ] and is differentiable on (xi−1 , xi ). Recall that by the Mean
Value Theorem, we have

f (xi ) − f (xi−1 ) = f ′ (ci )(xi − xi−1 ),

for some number ci ∈ (xi−1 , xi ). This give us the approximation

p
ℓi ≈ (xi − xi−1 )2 + [f (xi ) − f (xi−1 )]2
p
= (xi − xi−1 )2 + [f ′ (ci )(xi − xi−1 )]2
p
= 1 + [f ′ (ci )]2 (xi − xi−1 )
| {z }
∆x
p
= 2
1 + [f (ci )] ∆x.
′

Adding together the lengths of these n line segments, we get an approximation of the
total arc length,
Xn
p
L≈ 1 + [f ′ (ci )]2 ∆x.
i=1
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Notice that as n gets larger, this approximation should approach the exact arc length,
that is,
Xn
p
L = lim 1 + [f ′ (ci )]2 ∆x.
n→∞
i=1
p
You should recognize this as the limit of a Riemann sum for 1 + [f ′ (x)]2 , so that the
arc length is given by the definite integral:
Z bp
L= 1 + [f ′ (x)]2 dx,
a

whenever the limit exists.

Example 5.12.

Find the arc length of the curve y = x3/2 from (1, 1) to (4, 8).

Solution