Definite Integrals and the Area Under a Curve

A common integral Calculus problem is to find the area under a curve – and also the area between curves. In fact, this is often the first application of integrals that students learn. Finding such an area is essentially just evaluating a definite integral. However, there are some additional considerations such as whether the area is above or below the x-axis, or if the area is in multiple parts. If you’re not familiar with evaluating definite integrals, it may be useful to learn that first. You can do so HERE. Any questions about this video drop us a message HERE.

Key Points

Definite integrals can be used to find the area under a curve

If the area is above the x-axis then the definite integral is exactly the area

If the area is below the x-axis the definite integral will come out negative but the negative is dropped when stating the area

Areas can be used to evaluate definite integrals but you should keep in mind whether the area is above or below the x-axis

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