Applications of Definite Integrals

1- Arc Length
 Length of a Curve y=f(x)
• Suppose the curve whose length we want to find is the
graph of the function y=f(x) from x=a to x=b.
• In order to derive an integral formula for the length of
the curve, we assume that ƒ has a continuous
derivative at every point of [a, b].
• Such a function is called smooth, and its graph is a
smooth curve because it does not have any breaks,
corners, or cusps.

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 What do we mean by the length of a curve ?

Respectively, quadrangle,
hexagon, octagon and
dodecagon.

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 There is a point P on the graph
where the tangent line is parallel
to the secant line AB.

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 Example 1: Find the
length of the curve
(Figure 6.24)

y  432 x3/2 -1, 0  x  1

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Example 2: Find the
length of the graph
x3 1
f ( x)   , 1  x  4
12 x
(Figure 6.25)

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Example 3: Find the
length of the graph
e x  e x
f ( x)  , 0 x2
2
(Figure 6.25-1)

((Figure 6.25-1)

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Example 4: Find the
length of the curve
2/3
 x
f ( x)    , 0 x2
2
(Figure 6.26)

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Example: Find the length of the curve y  4  x2
on [-2,2].

dy 2 x x A semicircle!
 
dx 2 4  x 2 4  x2

2
2  x  2 x 2
L  2 1   dx  2  1  dx
0
 4 x 
2 0 4 x 2

2
1  1 x 
 4
2
dx  4 sin   2
0
4 x 2
 2 0
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 Homework: Find the lengths of the curves in Exercises 1–10

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