APPLICATION OF

DEFINITE INTEGRALS
CAPUZ, JANNE LLA FR E A P. 1 ST YE AR BS CPE
E NGR . GI LBE R T LAGUAR DI A CALCULUS 2
DEFINITE INTEGRAL
is defined to be exactly the limit and
summation that we looked at in the last
section to find the net area between a
function and the

x-axis. Also note that the notation for the

definite integral is very similar to the
notation for an indefinite integral. The
reason for this will be apparent eventually.
 R E S E AR C H O N T H E
F O L L O W I N G AP P L I C AT I O N S
USED IN
O F D E F I N I T E I N T E G R AL S :
VOLUMES
 Used in Volumes

To find the volumes of regions obtained by

rotating an area about the x or y- axis we can
also use definite integrals.
The volume of a solid of known integrable
cross-sectional are A(x) from x=a to x = b is the
integral of A from a to b
𝑏
V = ‫𝑥𝑑 𝑥 𝐴 𝑎׬‬
 The Disk Method
The solid generated by rotating a plane
region about an axis in its plane is called a
solid of a revolution. The area is then
𝐴 𝑥 = 𝜋(𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠)2 = 𝜋[𝑅 𝑥 }2

So the definition volume gives

𝑏 𝑏
V = ‫} 𝑥 𝑅[𝜋 𝑎׬ = 𝑥𝑑 𝑥 𝐴 𝑎׬‬2 dx
 The Washer Method
If the region we revolve to generate a solid does not
border on or cross the axis of revolution, the solid has
a hole in it. The cross-sections perpendicular to the
axis of revolution are washers instead of disks. The
dimensions of a typical washer are
Outer radius: R(x)
Inner radius: r(x)
The washer’s area is
𝐴 𝑥 = 𝜋[𝑅 𝑥 ]2 − 𝜋 𝑟 𝑥 2
= 𝜋[𝑅 𝑥 ]2 − 𝜋 𝑟 𝑥 2

The definition of volume gives:

𝑏 𝑏
V = ‫} 𝑥 𝑅[𝜋 𝑎׬ = 𝑥𝑑 𝑥 𝐴 𝑎׬‬2 - 𝜋 𝑟 𝑥 2 dx
This method for calculating the volume of a solid
revolution is called the washer methods because
a slab is a circular washer of outer radius R(x) and
inner radius r(x).
 R E S E AR C H O N T H E
F O L L O W I N G AP P L I C AT I O N S
O F D E F I N I T E I N T E G R AL S :
SHELLS
(SUCH AS CYLINDRICAL SHELLS)
 Finding a Volume Using Shells

The volume of the solid generated by revolving the region

between the x-axis and the graph of a continuous function
y=f(x) >= 0, L <= a <= x <= b, about a vertical line x = L is

𝑏
V = ‫ 𝑎׬‬2𝜋 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑑𝑥
 Example:
The shell thickness variable is x, so the
limits of integration for the shell formula
are a=0 and b=4. The volume is then:
𝑏
V= ‫ 𝑎׬‬2𝜋 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑢𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑙 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑑𝑥
4
V= ‫׬‬0 2𝜋 𝑥 √𝑥 𝑑𝑥
4 3/2 2 5 4 128𝜋
= 2𝜋 ‫׬‬0 𝑥 𝑑𝑥 = 2𝜋 𝑥2 =
5 0 5
 R E S E AR C H O N T H E
LENGTH OF
F O L L O W I N G AP P L I C AT I O N S
O F D E F I N I T E I N T E G R AL S : PLANE CURVES
 Length of Plane Curves

Archimedes used the perimeters of

inscribed polygons to approximate
the circumference of a circle. For n
=96 the approximation method gives
𝜋 ≈ 3.14103 as the circumference of
the unit circle
 Length of Parametric Curve
If a curve C is defined parametrically by x = f(t) and y = g(t), a <= t <=
b, where f’ and g’ are continuous and not simultaneously zero on
[a,b] and C is traversed exactly once as t increases from t = a to t = b
, then the length of C is the definite integral

𝑏
L = ‫𝑎׬‬ 𝑓 ′ 𝑡 ^2 + 𝑔′ 𝑡 ^2 𝑑𝑥
Length of Curve y = f(x)