Total Distance Traveled

T.N

A particle has velocity v(t) = 3t2 − 2t − 1. Compute its total distance over
[0, 2].
Factor 3t2 − 2t − 1 to find the zeroes.

3t2 − 2t − 1 = 3t2 − 3t + t − 1
= 3t(t − 1)) + 1(t − 1)
= (3t + 1)(t − 1)

It now follows that the zeroes of this polynomial are t = 1 and t = −1 3

. The only zero that is in the interval [0,2], however is t = 1.
Since 1 is in the middle of the interval [0,2], we can break this interval into the
following 2 intervals:
[0, 2] = [0, 1] + [1, 2] (1)
Hence, we get the following for the total distance travelled:
Z b Z 2
|v(t)|dt = |3t2 − 2t − 1|dt
a 0
Z 1 Z 2
= |3t2 − 2t − 1|dt + |3t2 − 2t − 1|dt
0 0
Z 1 Z 2
=| 3t2 − 2t − 1dt| + | 3t2 − 2t − 1dt|
0 1
3t3 2t2 1 3t3 2t2 2
= |( − − t) | + |( − − t) |
 
3 2 0 3 2 1
1 2
3 2 3 2
= |(t − t − t) | + |(t − t − t) |
 
0 1
= |(13 − 12 − 1) − (0)| + |(23 − 22 − 2) − (13 − 12 − 1)|
= |1 − 1 − 1| + |(8 − 4 − 2) − (1 − 1 − 1)|
= | − 1| + |3|
=1+3=4