Q.Find the area under the given curves and given lines:
Concept understanding — Area Under Parabola
Area Under a Parabola
Picture the simplest parabola, y=x2: a smooth U opening upward with its lowest point at the origin. Suppose we want the area trapped between this curve, the x-axis, and the vertical lines x=0 and x=1 — the area under the parabola on [0,1].
A rough estimate helps. A rectangle of base 1 and height 1 gives area 1 — too big, since the curve sits well below its top. A triangle gives 21×1×1=0.5 — too small, since the curve bulges above the straight edge. So the true area lies somewhere between 0.5 and 1.
Calculus pins it down exactly. The area under a curve y=f(x) from x=a to x=b (with f(x)≥0) is the definite integral
Area=∫abf(x)dx.
For y=x2 from 0 to 1 we use the power rule
∫xndx=n+1xn+1+C(n=−1)
so, with n=2,
∫01x2dx=[3x3]01=31−0=31.
The exact area is 31 square units (about 0.333) — comfortably between our two guesses.
The area is exactly one-third of the bounding rectangle. In general, under y=x2 from 0 to a the area is 3a3, i.e. one-third of the a×a2 rectangle.
The general statement
For y=kx2 (k constant), the area from x=a to x=b is
∫abkx2dx=k⋅3b3−a3.
If the parabola is shifted, such as y=x2+c, integrate term by term. If it opens sideways, such as x=y2, integrate with respect to y instead.
The cube formula 3b3−a3 applies only to y=x2 (or a constant multiple). For a full quadratic y=ax2+bx+c you must integrate the whole expression — never apply the cube formula to the x2 term alone.
The key takeaway: integration converts a curved boundary into an exact number, and for the basic parabola y=x2 from 0 to a that number is simply 3a3.
Finding the area under a parabola using definite integration is a foundational example in the CBSE Class 12 Application of Integrals chapter, and "area under curve y = x^2 using integration" is a commonly searched topic for board exam revision. This same integration approach scales up to the more general area-bounded-by-curves questions tested in JEE Main.
Each area is the definite integral of the curve between the given vertical lines (both curves stay above the x-axis on the intervals).
(i) y=x2 from x=1 to x=2:
∫12x2dx=[3x3]12=38−31=37.
(ii) y=x4 from x=1 to x=5:
∫15x4dx=[5x5]15=53125−51=53124.
- Area =37 sq units.
- Area =53124 sq units.
The area under y=x2 on [1,2] is 37 sq units, and the area under y=x4 on [1,5] is 53124 sq units.
The area bounded by a curve y=f(x), the x-axis, and two vertical lines x=a, x=b (with f(x)≥0) is the definite integral ∫abf(x)dx — the sum of thin vertical strips of height f(x) and width dx. Both curves here are positive on their intervals, so the integral gives the area directly.
(i) y=x2, from x=1 to x=2
Apply the power rule ∫xndx=n+1xn+1 with n=2:
Area=∫12x2dx=[3x3]12=323−313=38−31=37.
(ii) y=x4, from x=1 to x=5
With n=4:
Area=∫15x4dx=[5x5]15=555−515=53125−1=53124.
- Area =37 sq units.
- Area =53124 sq units.
Method: Area under a power curve y=xn above the x-axis
Use this for the area bounded by a power curve y=xn, the x-axis, and two vertical lines, when the curve stays above the axis on the interval.
Steps
Step 1: Confirm positivity on [a,b].
For x>0 and any n, xn>0, so the integral gives the area directly with no splitting.
Step 2: Apply the power rule.
∫xndx=n+1xn+1+C(n=−1)
Step 3: Evaluate between the limits, one part at a time.
Area=∫abxndx=[n+1xn+1]ab=n+1bn+1−an+1
When several curves are asked in one question, treat each as a separate independent integral with its own n and its own limits.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Adding one to the base instead of the exponent in the power rule.
Why it's wrong: ∫x4dx=5x5, not 4x5 or 5x4 — the exponent increases by one and you divide by the new exponent. Correct approach: ∫xndx=n+1xn+1, so part (ii) is [5x5]15=53124.
Mistake 2: Arithmetic slips with large powers.
Why it's wrong: 55=3125 (not 625), and forgetting to subtract the lower-limit term 51 changes the answer. Correct approach: compute 53125−1=53124; and for part (i), 38−1=37.
- AP EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-23-AN1 markMCQQ.Area of the region (in sq. units) bounded by the curve y=x2−5x+4, x=0, x=2 and the X-axis is (A) 38 (B) 3 (C) 5 (D) 25
›Reveal solutionSolution
This tests computing area between a curve and the x-axis when the curve crosses the axis inside the given interval — you must split at the root and take absolute values separately. The area is 3 sq. units, option (B).
Concept and Intuition
Area (as opposed to net signed integral) must always be non-negative. When y=f(x) changes sign within [a,b], the plain definite integral ∫abfdx would let positive and negative parts cancel, understating the true enclosed area. So we must locate where f crosses zero, integrate each sign-consistent piece separately, and add the absolute values.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Factor: x2−5x+4=(x−1)(x−4), roots at x=1,4. Since the parabola opens upward, y>0 outside [1,4] and y<0 inside [1,4].
- On [0,2]: y>0 on [0,1) and y<0 on (1,2].
- Antiderivative: F(x)=3x3−25x2+4x.
- F(0)=0, F(1)=31−25+4=62−15+24=611, F(2)=38−10+8=38−2=32.
- ∫01ydx=F(1)−F(0)=611 (positive region, keep as is).
- ∫12ydx=F(2)−F(1)=32−611=64−11=−67 (negative region, take absolute value 67).
- Total area =611+67=618=3.
Common Mistakes
- Directly computing ∫02ydx (net signed area) without splitting at x=1, which gives 611−67=32 — one of the wrong-looking distractor values, not the true area.
- Forgetting that the region below the axis contributes a positive area, not a negative one.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (B) — 3.
ANSWER: B
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-14-FN1 markMCQQ.Area of the region (in sq. units) bounded by the curve y=x2−4, the X-axis and the lines x=−2,x=3 is (A) 13 (B) 346 (C) 332 (D) 11
›Reveal solutionSolution
The parabola crosses the x-axis at x=±2; since it's below the axis on [−2,2] and above on [2,3], the total area is the sum of two separately-taken absolute areas, giving 13 sq. units.
Concept and Intuition
"Area bounded by a curve and the x-axis" always means the geometric (unsigned) area, not the signed definite integral. Whenever the curve crosses the x-axis within the given range, you must split the integral at the crossing point(s) and take the absolute value of each piece separately, because a naive single integral would let a below-axis region cancel an above-axis region.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Find where y=x2−4 crosses the x-axis: x2−4=0⇒x=±2. Both roots lie within [−2,3], splitting the region into [−2,2] (curve below axis, since x2<4 there) and [2,3] (curve above axis).
- The antiderivative is F(x)=3x3−4x.
- Piece 1, [−2,2]:
F(2)−F(−2)=(38−8)−(3−8+8)=−316−316=−332
This is negative (curve below axis), so the area contributed is −332=332.
4. Piece 2, [2,3]:
F(3)−F(2)=(9−12)−(38−8)=−3−(−316)=−3+316=37
This is positive (curve above axis), so the area contributed is 37.
5. Total area =332+37=339=13.
Common Mistakes
- Integrating ∫−23(x2−4)dx directly as a single signed integral, which lets the negative and positive regions partially cancel and gives the wrong (smaller) number.
- Forgetting that x=−2 is also a root and treating [−2,2] as entirely "extra" rather than as its own below-axis region needing an absolute value.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (A) — 13.
ANSWER: A
- AP EAPCET 2023Set eng-2023-05-15-FN1 markMCQQ.The area (in sq. units) bounded by the curves x2=9y, (x−6)2=9y and the X-axis is (A) 0 (B) 1 (C) 2 (D) 4
›Reveal solutionSolution
The two parabolas meet at (3,1) and each touches the X-axis at (0,0) and (6,0) respectively; the enclosed curvilinear-triangular area works out to 2 square units.
Concept and Intuition
Both curves are upward-opening parabolas with vertices on the X-axis at x=0 and x=6. They cross exactly once between these vertices. The bounded region is a "leaf" shape: from x=0 to x=3 it's capped by the first parabola (rising from 0 to 1), and from x=3 to x=6 it's capped by the second parabola (falling from 1 back to 0), with the X-axis as the base throughout.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Write both parabolas as functions of x:
y1=9x2 (vertex (0,0)),y2=9(x−6)2 (vertex (6,0))
-
Find their intersection: x2=(x−6)2⇒x2=x2−12x+36⇒12x=36⇒x=3. At x=3: y=9/9=1. So they meet at (3,1).
-
Determine which curve is the "upper boundary" on each side:
- For 0≤x≤3: y1=x2/9 rises from 0 to 1; y2=(x−6)2/9 falls from 4 to 1 — so y1<y2 here, meaning the region's upper boundary (the curve closer to the axis, bounding the smaller enclosed area) is y1.
- For 3≤x≤6: by symmetry, y2 is now the smaller one, forming the boundary.
So the bounded "leaf" region between the axis and the lower envelope of the two parabolas has area:
Area=∫039x2dx+∫369(x−6)2dx
- Compute each piece:
∫039x2dx=91[3x3]03=91⋅9=1
∫369(x−6)2dx=u=x−691∫−30u2du=91[3u3]−30=91(0−(−9))=91⋅9=1
- Total area =1+1=2.
Common Mistakes
- Integrating the wrong curve over the wrong sub-interval (mixing up which parabola dominates on which side of x=3).
- Forgetting the substitution shift when integrating (x−6)2, leading to arithmetic errors in the limits.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (C) — 2.
ANSWER: C
- AP EAPCET 2024Set eng-2024-05-20-FN1 markMCQQ.Area of the region (in square units) enclosed by the curves y2=8(x+2), y2=4(1−x) and the Y-axis is (A) 38(5−32) (B) 38(2−1) (C) 38(3−2) (D) 34(2+1)
›Reveal solutionSolution
Two sideways parabolas cross at x=−1; the region pinned between them and the y-axis is a thin curvilinear triangle, and integrating gives area 38(5−32).
Concept and Intuition
y2=8(x+2) is a rightward-opening parabola with vertex (−2,0); y2=4(1−x) is a leftward-opening parabola with vertex (1,0). They cross where 8(x+2)=4(1−x). Between that crossing point and the y-axis, one parabola sits outside the other, so the area enclosed by both curves together with the line x=0 is the region trapped between them over that stretch, doubled for the symmetric halves above and below the x-axis.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Find the intersection: 8(x+2)=4(1−x)⇒8x+16=4−4x⇒12x=−12⇒x=−1, giving y2=8(1)=8⇒y=±22.
- At x=0: first curve gives y2=16⇒y=±4; second curve gives y2=4⇒y=±2. So on [−1,0], curve 1 (y2=8(x+2)) is the outer boundary and curve 2 (y2=4(1−x)) is the inner one.
- Area of the upper half between the curves: Aupper=∫−10[8(x+2)−4(1−x)]dx.
- ∫−108(x+2)dx: substitute u=x+2 (u:1→2): =8[32u3/2]12=22⋅32(22−1)=316−42.
- ∫−104(1−x)dx=2∫−101−xdx: substitute v=1−x (v:2→1): =2[32v3/2]12(reversed)=382−4.
- Aupper=316−42−382−4=320−122.
- Total area (doubling for the lower half by symmetry): A=2×320−122=340−242=38(5−32).
Common Mistakes
- Integrating over the wrong interval — including the region from x=−2 to −1 (which lies to the left of the intersection and is NOT bounded by the y-axis condition).
- Swapping which curve is outer vs. inner on [−1,0], giving a negative or wrong-magnitude area.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (A) — 38(5−32).
ANSWER: A
- AP EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-24-FN1 markMCQQ.The area (in sq.units) of the region bounded by the curves y=x2 and y=8−x2 is (A) 332 (B) 316 (C) 364 (D) 3128
›Reveal solutionSolution
The two parabolas intersect at x=±2; the area between them integrates to 364 sq. units.
Concept and Intuition
y=x2 opens upward from the origin, while y=8−x2 opens downward from (0,8) — together they bound a lens-shaped (vesica-like) region symmetric about the y-axis. The area between two curves y=f(x) (upper) and y=g(x) (lower) over [a,b] is ∫ab[f(x)−g(x)]dx, where [a,b] are the intersection points.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Find intersections: set x2=8−x2⇒2x2=8⇒x2=4⇒x=±2.
- For −2<x<2: check which curve is on top — at x=0, y=x2=0 and y=8−x2=8, so 8−x2 is the upper curve.
- Area =∫−22[(8−x2)−x2]dx=∫−22(8−2x2)dx.
- The integrand is even, so =2∫02(8−2x2)dx.
- ∫02(8−2x2)dx=[8x−32x3]02=8(2)−32(8)=16−316=348−16=332.
- Area =2×332=364 sq. units.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to double the integral over [0,2] (or equivalently integrating over the wrong interval).
- Mixing up which parabola is "on top" — a quick check at x=0 resolves it instantly.
- Sign errors subtracting x2 from 8−x2.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (C) — 364.
ANSWER: C
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-13-AN1 markMCQQ.The area (in sq. units) of the region bounded by the curve y=2x−x2 and the straight line y=−x is (A) 635 (B) 524 (C) 316 (D) 29
›Reveal solutionSolution
The parabola y=2x−x2 lies above the line y=−x between x=0 and x=3; integrating the difference gives an area of 29 sq units.
Concept and Intuition
The area between two curves over an interval is ∫(upper−lower)dx, where the interval's endpoints are found by setting the two expressions equal (their intersection points).
Step-by-Step Solution
- Find intersection: 2x−x2=−x⇒2x−x2+x=0⇒3x−x2=0⇒x(3−x)=0⇒x=0 or x=3.
- Check which curve is on top between 0 and 3: at x=1, parabola gives 2(1)−1=1; line gives −1. Parabola is above.
- Area =∫03[(2x−x2)−(−x)]dx=∫03(3x−x2)dx.
- =[23x2−3x3]03=23(9)−327=227−9=227−18=29.
Common Mistakes
- Forgetting to add x back (i.e., writing the integrand as 2x−x2+x correctly, not 2x−x2−x).
- Not checking which curve is on top and getting a negative area / wrong sign.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (D) — 29.
ANSWER: D
- AP EAPCET 2025Set eng-2025-05-27-FN1 markMCQQ.The area (in sq. units) of the region given by R={(x,y):2y2≤x≤y+4} is (A) 16 (B) 18 (C) 24 (D) 30
›Reveal solutionSolution
The area enclosed between x=y2/2 and x=y+4 is 18 sq. units.
Concept and Intuition
When a region is described by g(y)≤x≤f(y), its area is ∫(f(y)−g(y))dy taken between the y-values where the two boundary curves meet. Here g(y)=y2/2 (parabola opening rightward) and f(y)=y+4 (line).
Step-by-Step Solution
- Find intersections: 2y2=y+4⇒y2=2y+8⇒y2−2y−8=0⇒(y−4)(y+2)=0, so y=−2 and y=4.
- Between these, the line is to the right of the parabola, so width =(y+4)−2y2.
- Area =∫−24(y+4−2y2)dy=[2y2+4y−6y3]−24.
- At y=4: 8+16−664=24−332=340. At y=−2: 2−8+68=−6+34=−314.
- Area =340−(−314)=354=18.
Common Mistakes
- Integrating with respect to x and mishandling the two-valued parabola instead of integrating cleanly in y.
- Dropping the sign when evaluating the antiderivative at the lower limit y=−2.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (B) — 18 square units.
ANSWER: B
NoteThis solution was worked out by our team and cross-checked by a second independent solve. The official answer key for this question could not be confirmed, so please cross-verify with the official paper where possible.
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-18-AN1 markMCQQ.The area (in sq. units) of the region bounded between the curve y=x2+5x+1 and the line 7x−y+1=0 is (A) 2 (B) 3/4 (C) 4/3 (D) 2/5
›Reveal solutionSolution
The parabola and line intersect at x=0,2; the area between them is ∫02(2x−x2)dx=34.
Concept and Intuition
The area between a curve and a line over an interval is the integral of (upper function − lower function). First find the intersection points to get the limits, then check which function is on top between them.
Step-by-Step Solution
- Rewrite the line: 7x−y+1=0⇒y=7x+1.
- Find intersections with y=x2+5x+1:
x2+5x+1=7x+1⇒x2−2x=0⇒x(x−2)=0⇒x=0,2
- Check which curve is on top for x∈(0,2), e.g. at x=1: line gives 8, parabola gives 1+5+1=7. So the line is above the parabola.
- Area:
∫02[(7x+1)−(x2+5x+1)]dx=∫02(2x−x2)dx
- =[x2−3x3]02=(4−38)−0=34
Common Mistakes
- Subtracting in the wrong order (parabola minus line), giving a negative area instead of taking the correct (upper − lower) order.
- Arithmetic slip computing 4−8/3.
✓Final answerThe correct option is (C) — 34.
ANSWER: C
- AP EAPCET 2026Set eng-2026-05-15-FN1 markMCQQ.A circle is passing through the ends of the latus rectum of a parabola y2=12x and has its centre at the vertex of the parabola. The area of the region lying inside the circle and outside the parabola in the 1st quadrant is (A) 245Sin−1(51)−3 (B) 245Sin−1(53)+245π (C) 45Sin−1(51)+6 (D) 45Sin−1(53)+6π
›Reveal solutionSolution
Set up the circle (x2+y2=45) and parabola (y2=12x), split the first-quadrant region at their intersection point (3,6), and add the thin parabola-bounded strip to the circular-segment cap beyond it. Answer: 245Sin−1(51)−3.
Concept and Intuition
"Inside the circle, outside the parabola" in the first quadrant means, for each height y, taking the horizontal strip between x=0 (or the parabola, whichever is the boundary of "outside") out to the circle — but only where that strip is genuinely outside the parabola. The curves meet where the circle passes through the latus-rectum end, so the region naturally splits into two ranges of y.
Step-by-Step Solution
- y2=12x⇒4a=12⇒a=3. Latus rectum ends: (a,±2a)=(3,±6).
- Circle centred at vertex (origin) through (3,6): r2=32+62=45, i.e. x2+y2=45.
- For 0≤y≤6: parabola boundary is xp(y)=y2/12 and circle boundary is xc(y)=45−y2; checking, xp(y)≤xc(y) throughout (equal at y=6), so the "outside parabola" strip 0≤x≤xp(y) lies wholly inside the circle. Its area is ∫0612y2dy=121⋅363=6.
- For 6≤y≤45: now xc(y)<xp(y), so the entire circular cross-section 0≤x≤xc(y) is outside the parabola. Its area is ∫64545−y2dy.
- Using ∫a2−y2dy=2ya2−y2+2a2Sin−1(ay) with a2=45: at y=45, value =245⋅2π=445π; at y=6, value =9+245Sin−1(52) (since 6/45=2/5).
- So this piece =445π−9−245Sin−1(52).
- Total area =6+445π−9−245Sin−1(52)=−3+445π−245Sin−1(52).
- Since 52 and 51 are complementary sines (Sin−1(2/5)=π/2−Sin−1(1/5)), substitute: total =−3+445π−245(2π−Sin−1(51))=−3+245Sin−1(51) (the π terms cancel).
Common Mistakes
- Treating the whole quarter-disk cross-section as "outside the parabola" for all y (only true for y>6; for y<6 only the strip up to the parabola counts).
- Sign/complementary-angle slip converting Sin−1(2/5) to Sin−1(1/5).
✓Final answerThe correct option is (A) — 245Sin−1(51)−3.
ANSWER: A
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