C4 integration!!

Maths and statistics discussion, revision, exam and homework help.

Announcements Posted on
TSR launches Learn Together! - Our new subscription to help improve your learning 16-05-2013
IMPORTANT: You must wait until midnight (morning exams)/4.30AM (afternoon exams) to discuss Edexcel exams and until 1pm/6pm the following day for STEP and IB exams. Please read before posting, including for rules for practical and oral exams. 28-04-2013
Sign in to Reply
  1. icouldsay's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 34
    C4 integration!!
    Integrating using trig identities.

    I came across this example in my book...

     \int sin^2x  dx which is replaced by  \int \frac{1}{2}(1-cos2x) dx
    the result is then  \frac{1}{2}(x-\frac{1}{2}sin2x) + C
    I don't understand why it is only the bit in the brackets from  \int \frac{1}{2}(1-cos2x) dx that gets integrated?
    Is there a step inbetween where  \frac{1}{2} is moved before the integral sign? e.g.  \frac{1}{2} \int (1-cos2x) dx ?

    Any help is much appreciated!!
  2. ArsLongaVitaBrevis's Avatar
    • Banned
    • Location: England
    • Posts: 3,968
    Re: C4 integration!!
    (Original post by icouldsay)
    Integrating using trig identities.

    I came across this example in my book...

     \int sin^2x  dx which is replaced by  \int \frac{1}{2}(1-cos2x) dx
    the result is then  \frac{1}{2}(x-\frac{1}{2}sin2x) + C
    I don't understand why it is only the bit in the brackets from  \int \frac{1}{2}(1-cos2x) dx that gets integrated?
    Is there a step inbetween where  \frac{1}{2} is moved before the integral sign? e.g.  \frac{1}{2} \int (1-cos2x) dx ?

    Any help is much appreciated!!
    Yep - 1/2 is a constant so you can move it outside.
  3. icouldsay's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 34
    Re: C4 integration!!
    Thank you!!
Sign in to Reply
Share this discussion:  
Article updates
Moderators

We have a brilliant team of more than 60 volunteers looking after discussions on The Student Room, helping to make it a fun, safe and useful place to hang out.

Reputation gems:
The Reputation gems seen here indicate how well reputed the user is, red gem indicate negative reputation and green indicates a good rep.
Post rating score:
These scores show if a post has been positively or negatively rated by our members.