Definite Integral

A Definite Integral has start and end values: in other words there is
an interval (a to b).
The values are put at the bottom and top of the "S", like this:

We can find the Definite Integral by calculating the Indefinite Integral

at points a and b, then subtracting:

Example 1:

The Definite Integral, from 1 to 2, of 2x dx:

The Indefinite Integral is:

2x dx = 1
At x=2: 2x dx = 2
At x=1:

+C

+C

2x dx = x

+C

Subtract:
(22 + C) (12 + C)
22 + C 1 2 C
41+C-C=3

And "C" gets cancelled out ... so with Definite Integrals we can ignore C.
In fact we can give the answer directly like this:

Example 2:

The Definite Integral, from 0.5 to 1.0, of cos(x) dx:

(Note: x must be in radians )

The Indefinite Integral is:

cos(x) dx = sin(x) + C

We can ignore C when we do the subtraction (as we saw above):

= sin(1) sin(0.5)
= 0.841... 0.479...
= 0.362...
Example 3:

The Definite Integral, from 0 to 1, of sin(x) dx:

The Indefinite Integral is:

sin(x) dx = cos(x) + C

Since we are going from 0, can we just calculate the area at x=1?
cos(1) = 0.540...
What? The Area at x=1 is negative? No, we need to subtract the integral at
x=0. We shouldn't assume that it is zero.
So let us do it properly, subtracting one from the other (and C gets cancelled so
we don't need to show it):
= cos(1) (cos(0))
= 0.540... (1)
= 0.460...

Example 4:

The Definite Integral, from 1 to 3, of cos(x) dx:

Notice that some of it is positive, and some negative.

The definite integral will work out the net area.

The Indefinite Integral is:cos(x) dx = sin(x) + C

So let us do the calculations:

= sin(3) sin(1)
= 0.141... 0.841...
= 0.700...

Example 5:

A vertical asymptote between a and b affects the definite integral.

Geometric Applications
Let us consider some geometric examples of integration that are easy to visualize and
understand. Following geometric applications we will move onto more physical applications
from science and engineering.
The first example we will study is that for finding the area of a shape whose height is
changing with its length. By definition the area of a rectangle is given by the equation:

What if the height of a particular shape were changing with respect to its length, expressed
by the function,

? The graph of the function and shape would look like this:

What is peculiar about the shaded area? The only apparent characteristic is that its height is
changing with the length such that as the length increases the height increases.
Therefore the area of the object is not a simple matter of:

In the graph, height is a function of length. The area equation for the shape now becomes:

Over an infinitely small length, dl, the area of one rectangle has constant height,
and
length, dl . Over an infinitely small interval, the area under the curve changes by the area of
one rectangle. This can be expressed as:

The infinite sum of the inscribed rectangles over an interval of l=a to l=b corresponds
exactly to the net change in the area of the shape, or the area under the curve
from l=a to l=b. Thus the area of the shape from l=1 to l=3 is:

Evaluating the integral:

The total area is then 20,or looking at the graph of

It is important to understand, that the function

area

defined

by

changing

height,

gives us the net change in the

as

changes

from

some

value a to b. Since
then in this unique case
will give us the area the
shape for any length, l. However keep in mind that we are calculating how much a
situation changes, as its defining conditions change.

Now let us look at volumes. Let us say we take the same shape with length, l, and
height,
and revolve it around the x-axis. How do we find the volume of the conical
cylinder generated?

All we have is a cylinder of varying or changing radius. The radius is give as a function of
length by;

The equation for the volume of a cylinder is:

As the length goes from some value, a to b the radius changes with respect to the length.
The equation can only hold true over an infinitely small interval, dl. The change in the
volume of one infinitely small cylinder with length, dl, is

The net change in the volume of the cylinder as the length changes from 0 to 6 is found by
integrating the differential,

Examples: