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Integration

When integrating to find the area of a curve, does the integration find the area of the inside of the curve or the area below the curve?
The area below the curve bound between two limits.
It will find the area between the curve and the x-axis. If the curve is below the x-axis then it will find the area above the curve.
Original post by purplekitten42
It will find the area between the curve and the x-axis. If the curve is below the x-axis then it will find the area above the curve.

Yes, and will return a negative value for a negative curve, so one to watch in certain types of questions.

Not clear what OP means by "inside of the curve", but if you want the area between the curve and the y axis, then you need swap the variables, i.e. integrate x as a function of y with respect to y, so y becomes the variable of integration.
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Avatar for badoom1234
badoom1234
OP
13
Original post by purplekitten42
It will find the area between the curve and the x-axis. if the curve is below the x-axis then it will find the area above the curve.




Original post by bored_user:)
The area below the curve bound between two limits.

What if the curve had a maximum instead of a minimum?
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Avatar for davros
davros
16
Original post by badoom1234
What if the curve had a maximum instead of a minimum?

Can you give an example of a question where you're unsure of the meaning? It's a bit difficult to answer without specifics :smile:
Original post by badoom1234
What if the curve had a maximum instead of a minimum?

Same thing

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