AREA OF A REGION BETWEEN TWO CURVES

Under vs. Between

• When we found the area under a curve, we were
only dealing with one curve and it was possible to
have what we called “negative area”. Now, with
the area between two curves, we will always have
two curves and the area will always be positive.
 Under vs. Between
• When we found the area under a curve, we were
only dealing with one curve and it was possible to
have what we called “negative area”. Now, with
the area between two curves, we will always have
two curves and the area will always be positive.
• Sometimes, the second curve will be the x or y-
axis. It may be the top curve or the bottom curve.
For some of these, we will need to use our
knowledge of piecewise functions to solve.
 f f f
= -
g g g

Area of region = Area of region - Area of region

between f and g under f(x) under g(x)
b b b

  f (x)  g(x)dx   f ( x)dx   g ( x)dx

a a a
 Area of Region Between 2 Curves
3 f(x) 3 g(x)

2 2

1 1
b b
 a
f ( x ) dx  a
g( x ) dx
1 2 3 1 2 3
a b a b

Area of region
2
between f(x) and g(x)

  f ( x )  g( x ) dx
b
1

1 2 3
a b
• The problem is to find the area between two
curves, so we start with a couple of friendly
calculus curves.
2
The first is f (x) , or y  x .
• And the second is g(x), or y  x.
• A closer look:
• We are interested in finding the area of the
purple region.
• Let h be the distance between the two curves.

h
• Notice how h changes as we move from left to
right.

h
Since h is the distance from the upper to
lower curve. This is simply the difference of
the two y-coordinates.
h  yupper  ylower
or
h  f (x)  g(x)

2
This means that h(x)  x  x .
• We can find the total area between the curves by
integrating h between the points of intersection.
• Note that the two curves intersect at the origin
and at (1,1).
The area between the curves is

1
The 0 and 1 are the
A   h(x)dx starting and ending
0 values of x.
Further,

1
The area is   x  x dx.
2

0
We can evaluate the integral using the
Fundamental Theorem of the Calculus.
1

 
2
x  x dx 
0
1
 2 23 1 3 
 x  x 
3 3  0

2 1 1
   0  0   .
3 3 3
 Ex. Find the area of the region bounded by the graphs
of f(x) = x2 + 2, g(x) = -x, x = 0, and x = 1 .

Area = Top curve – bottom curve

f(x) = x2 + 2 b
A   f (x)  g(x)dx 
a
1

g(x) = -x    2)  (x)dx 
(x 2

  x 3 x 2 
1
1 1 17
   2 x  3  2  2  6
3 2 0

 Model Problem
Find the area of the region bounded by the
graph of f(x) = 2 – x2 and g(x) = x.

 f ( x )  g ( x ) dx
b

f x  = 2-x 2
2 g x  = x A 
a
1
a and b ?
points of intersection
-2 2

2  x2  x
x  2 or 1
-1

-2
a  2; b  1

   x  dx  
1 1
A    2  x 2
  x 2  x  2 dx
2 2
1
 x 3
x  2
9
    2x 
 3 2  2 2
Find the area of the region between the graphs of
f(x) = 3x3 – x2 – 10x and g(x) = -x2 + 2x

Again, set f(x) = g(x)

to find their points of
intersection.

3x3 – x2 – 10x = -x2 + 2x

3x3 – 12x = 0
3x(x2 – 4) = 0
x = 0 , -2 , 2
Note that the two graphs switch at the origin.
 Now, set up the two integrals and solve.

0 2

  f (x)  g(x)dx   g(x) f (x)dx

2 0
0 2

 (3x 3
12x)dx   (3x 3
 12x)dx 
2 0

 24
 Horizontal Representative Rectangles (Slices)

vertical horizontal
rectangle rectangle

Problem

x  f ( y) x  f ( y)

If a region is bounded by f(y) No Problem

on the right
and g(y) on the left at all pointsintegrate
of the with
interval [c, d], then the area ofrespect to y is
the region
given by
A    f ( y )  g ( y ) dy
y2

y1
 x2

A   [(top curve)  (bottom curve)] dx

x1

y2

A   [(right curve)  (le f t curve)] dy

y1
Find the area of the region bounded by the graphs
of x = 3 – y2 and y = x - 1

Area = Right - Left

1
A  (3  y 2
)  (y  1)dy
2

9

2

Example
2
1
2  x 2  x dx
y1  2  x 2 2
1 3 1 2
2x  x  x
3 2 1

 8   1 1
 4   2    2   
 3   3 2

y2   x 8 1 1
6 2 
3 3 2
36  16  12  2  3 27 9
 
6 6 2
 y x If we try vertical strips,
we have to integrate in
dx two parts:
y  x2 2 4
dx  x dx   x   x  2  dx
0 2
We can find the same
area using a horizontal
y x strip.
Since the width of the
y  x2
strip is dy, we find the
dy
length of the strip by
y x y  x2 solving for x in terms
y2  x y2 x of y.
2
2 1 2 1 3 8 10
  24 
0    
2
y 2 y dy y 2 y y
2 3 0 3 3
 Model Problem
Find the area of the region bounded by the
graphs of y = x2 + 2, y = -x, x = 0, and x = 1.

 f ( x )  g( x ) dx
b
A 
a
4
f x  = x 2+2

 
1
3
   x 2  2    x   dx
0
2
1
   x 2  x  2  dx
1 0

1
x x  3 2
-2 2
g x  = -x
-1    2x
 3 2 0
Check with 1 1 17
Calculator   2
3 2 6
 Model Problem
The sine and cosine curves intersect infinitely
many times, bounding regions of equal areas.
Find the area of one of these regions.
points of intersection
1.5

f x  = sin x 
1
a and b?
0.5
sin x  cos x
-2 2 4
sin x cos x
-0.5 tan x   1
-1
cos x cos x
g x  = cos x   5
-1.5
x  or
4 4
5 4
 sin x  cos x  dx    cos x  sin x   4
5 4
A 
 4

2 2
 Horizontal Representative Rectangles
If the graph of a function of y is a boundary of a
region, it is often convenient to use representative
rectangles that are horizontal and find the area
by integrating with respect to y.
Vertical rectangles
 
  top curve    bottom curve   dx
x2
A 
x1
             
 in variable x 
Horizontal rectangles

y2
 
A  right curve    left curve   dy
y1             
 in variable y 
 Model Problem
Find the area of the region between the
curve x = y2 and the curve x = y + 6 from
y = 0 to y = 3.
left boundary: for entire region:
right boundary:
4

x = y2
2
2
g  y = y x=y+6

 f ( y )  g( y ) dy
y2
A 
5 10 y1
h  y = y+6 3
-2
A    y  6   y 2  dy
0
3
y 2
y 
3
  6y  
 2 3 0
27

2
 Representative Rectangle
Horizontal rectangles

y2
 
A   right curve    left curve   dy
y1             
 in variable y 

Find the area of the region bounded by the

graphs of x = 3 – y2 and x = y + 1.
f y  = 3-y 2 points of intersection
2

f(y) is to
1 (2, 1)
the right of
2 4 g(y)
Δy
-1

(-1, -2

-2) g y  = y+1

area of representative rectangle


A   f ( y )  g( x ) y   3  y 2   y  1  y 
 Representative Rectangle
Find the area of the region bounded by the
graphs of x = 3 – y2 and x = y + 1.
f y  = 3-y 2 points of intersection
2

f(y) is to
1 (2, 1)
the right of
2 4 g(y)
Δy
 f ( y )  g( y ) dy
y2
A 
-1

(-1, y1
-2

-2) g y  = y+1

 
1
  y  1  dy  2   y  y  2  dy
1
A    3  y 2 2
2

1
 y y  3
9 2
A     2 y 
 3 2  2 2
 Representative Rectangle
Find the area of the region bounded by the
graphs of x = 3 – y2 and x = y + 1.
y=x–1 points of intersection
2

Solve for y
y  3 x
1 (2, 1)
(3, 0) y=x–1
2 4

-1 y   3 x
(-1, Δx y   3 x
x-intercept – (3, 0)
-2

-2)

   
2 3
A    x  1   3  x dx    3  x   3  x  dx
 
1   2  
Aim: How do we find the area of a region
between two curves?

Do Now:
Find the area of the region between the
graphs of f(x) = 1 – x2 and g(x) = 1 – x.
1

0.8 f x  = 1-x 2

0.6

0.4

0.2
g x  = 1-x

0.5 1

-0.2
 Model Problem
Find the area of the region between the curve
y = sin x and the curve y = cos x from 0 to /2.
g x  = cos x  f x  = sin x 
1

0.5

 1  2

4 2
 Model Problem
Find the area of the region between the curve
x  y 3  y and the line x  0.
1
f y = y3-y

0.5

-0.5

-1
 Model Problem
Find the area of the region between the curve
y x  3 and the curve y  3  x
and the x-axis from x = -3 to x = 3.

g x  =  3-x 0.5
2
f x  =  x+3 0.5

-2 2
 General Strategy for Area Between Curves:

1 Sketch the curves.

2 Decide on vertical or horizontal strips. (Pick

whichever is easier to write formulas for the length of
the strip, and/or whichever will let you integrate fewer
times.)

3 Write an expression for the area of the strip.

(If the width is dx, the length must be in terms of x.
If the width is dy, the length must be in terms of y.
4 Find the limits of integration. (If using dx, the limits
are x values; if using dy, the limits are y values.)
5 Integrate to find area.