Q.Find the area bounded by the curve y=cosx between x=0 and x=2π
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Area Under a Curve
How do you measure the area of a region whose top edge is curved rather than a straight line? For rectangles and triangles we have formulas, but a shape bounded above by y=f(x) has no simple side lengths to plug in. The definite integral is the tool built exactly for this.
The core idea: area as a limit of strips
Take the region under y=f(x) (with f(x)≥0), above the x-axis, between x=a and x=b. Slice it into many thin vertical strips. A strip at position x with tiny width dx is almost a rectangle of height f(x), so its area is about f(x)dx. Add up all the strips and let their width shrink to zero: the sum becomes the definite integral
Area=∫abf(x)dx.
This is why the integral is the area — it is the exact total of infinitely many infinitesimally thin rectangles.
How to compute it
Find an antiderivative F(x) (so F′(x)=f(x)) and evaluate at the two limits — the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus:
∫abf(x)dx=F(b)−F(a).
For example, the area under y=x2 from 0 to 1 is [3x3]01=31.
Cases you must handle carefully
The integral gives signed area. Where the curve dips below the x-axis, f(x)<0 and ∫fdx comes out negative. For the geometric (positive) area of such a stretch, integrate the absolute value or take the magnitude of that piece: Area=∫ab∣f(x)∣dx.
If a curve crosses the x-axis inside [a,b], split the integral at each crossing and add the sizes of the parts.
Area with respect to the y-axis
When the region is bounded by a curve x=g(y) and the y-axis between y=c and y=d, slice horizontally instead: …
The key idea is that area is always positive, so we must split the interval wherever the curve crosses the x‑axis.
Step 1: Find where cosx=0 in [0,2π].
cosx=0 at x=2π and x=23π.
Step 2: On [0,2π], cosx≥0; on [2π,23π], cosx≤0; on [23π,2π], cosx≥0.
Step 3: Total area = …
The area bounded by y=cosx from x=0 to x=2π is 4 square units. Because the curve dips below the x‑axis, we must split the interval and take absolute values — the net signed area is zero, but the geometric area is 4.
Why area under a curve isn’t always “just integrate”
When a student first sees “area bounded by the curve”, the reflex is to compute ∫02πcosxdx. That integral evaluates to 0, which is true for the signed area — but the question asks for the geometric area, the actual region enclosed between the curve and the x‑axis. The curve y=cosx crosses the x‑axis at x=π/2 and x=3π/2, so parts of it lie below the axis. Area is always positive, so we must take the absolute value of each piece.
A common mistake is to compute ∫02πcosxdx=0 and conclude the area is zero. That gives the net signed area, not the total geometric area. Always check where the curve is above or below the axis.
Step‑by‑step solution
1. Identify the zeroes of cosx in [0,2π]
cosx=0 when x=2π and x=23π. These split the interval into three parts:
[0,π/2], [π/2,3π/2], [3π/2,2π].
2. Determine the sign of cosx on each subinterval
- On [0,π/2]: cosx≥0 (starts at 1, falls to 0).
- On [π/2,3π/2]: cosx≤0 (goes from 0 to −1 and back to 0).
- On [3π/2,2π]: cosx≥0 (rises from 0 to 1).
3. Write the area as a sum of absolute integrals
The total geometric area A is:
A=∫0π/2cosxdx+∫π/23π/2(−cosx)dx+∫3π/22πcosxdx
4. Evaluate each integral
- First piece: ∫0π/2cosxdx=[sinx]0π/2=sin(π/2)−sin0=1−0=1. …
Method: Area of a periodic curve over a full period (modulus)
Use this for "area bounded by the curve" over an interval where a periodic function (like cosx over [0,2π]) is above the axis on some sub-intervals and below on others.
Steps
Step 1: Find all axis crossings in the interval.
Solve f(x)=0; for cosx on [0,2π] the crossings are x=2π and x=23π, splitting the range into three pieces.
Step 2: Fix the sign on each sub-interval.
Integrate f where it is positive and −f where it is negative, so every contribution is positive.
Step 3: Sum the pieces. …
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Concluding the area is zero from ∫02πcosxdx=0.
Why it's wrong: that integral is the net signed value; the positive lobes and the negative lobe cancel, but real area is enclosed. Correct approach: integrate ∣cosx∣ by splitting at the zeros x=2π,23π, giving 1+2+1=4.
Mistake 2: Splitting at only one crossing. …
Showing the 12 most recent of 14 on this concept.
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-A1 markMCQQ.Find the area bounded by the curve y=∣2−x∣, the x-axis, and the lines x=0 and x=5 (A) 4.5 sq units (B) 6.5 sq units (C) 12 .5 sq units (D) 8.5 sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
The area is the sum of two triangular regions formed by the V‑shaped absolute‑value function, giving a total of 6.5 square units.
We are asked for the area bounded by y=∣2−x∣, the x-axis, and the vertical lines x=0 and x=5.
The key idea: the absolute value creates a V‑shaped graph with a vertex at x=2. The area under this curve (above the x-axis) from x=0 to x=5 is simply the sum of two triangles — one on each side of the vertex. No integration is strictly needed, but we can also integrate piecewise.
1. Understand the shape of y=∣2−x∣
The expression ∣2−x∣ equals:
- 2−x when 2−x≥0, i.e. x≤2
- x−2 when 2−x<0, i.e. x>2
So the graph is a straight line of slope −1 from x=0 to x=2, then slope +1 from x=2 onward. At x=2, y=0. This is a V‑shape with the vertex on the x-axis.
2. Identify the region
We are bounded by:
- The curve y=∣2−x∣
- The x-axis (y=0)
- The left vertical line x=0
- The right vertical line x=5
The curve is always above or on the x-axis, so the region is simply the area under the V from x=0 to x=5.
3. Break into two parts at the vertex x=2
Left part (0≤x≤2):
Here y=2−x. At x=0, y=2; at x=2, y=0.
This is a right triangle with base 2 (from x=0 to x=2) and height 2.
Area = 21×base×height=21×2×2=2.
Right part (2≤x≤5):
Here y=x−2. At x=2, y=0; at x=5, y=3. …
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-M1 markMCQQ.The area of the region bounded by the line y=x+2 and the curve x=−y2 is (A) 13.5 sq units (B) 67 sq units (C) 4.5 sq units (D) 2.5 sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
The region is bounded by a line and a left‑opening parabola; we integrate with respect to y to avoid splitting the region, and the area is 4.5 square units.
Concept & Intuition
When a region is bounded by a curve that is not a function of x (here x=−y2 gives two y-values for most x), it is often easier to integrate with respect to y. The line y=x+2 can be rewritten as x=y−2. The area between two curves expressed as functions of y is ∫ylowyhigh(xright(y)−xleft(y))dy. Here the parabola x=−y2 is the left boundary and the line x=y−2 is the right boundary. We find the intersection points to set the limits, then integrate.
Step‑by‑Step Solution
- Find the intersection points of y=x+2 and x=−y2. Substitute x=−y2 into y=x+2:
y=−y2+2⇒y2+y−2=0.
Factor: (y+2)(y−1)=0, so y=−2 and y=1.
The corresponding x-values: for y=−2, x=−4; for y=1, x=−1.
Intersection points: (−4,−2) and (−1,1).
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Decide the variable of integration.
The parabola x=−y2 opens left; for a fixed y, it gives a single x. The line x=y−2 is also single‑valued in y. Over the interval y∈[−2,1], the line lies to the right of the parabola. So we integrate with respect to y.
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Set up the area integral.
Right boundary: xright=y−2.
Left boundary: xleft=−y2.
Area = ∫y=−21[(y−2)−(−y2)]dy=∫−21(y−2+y2)dy.
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Evaluate the integral.
∫−21(y2+y−2)dy=[3y3+2y2−2y]−21.
At y=1: 31+21−2=62+63−612=−67. …
- COMEDK 2026Set 2026-M1 markMCQQ.The area of the region in the first quadrant enclosed by the x-axis, the line x=3y and the circle x2+y2=4 is (A) 6π sq units (B) 32π sq units (C) π sq units (D) 3π sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
The region is a circular sector minus a triangle; its area is 3π square units, so the correct option is (D).
We want the area in the first quadrant bounded by:
- the x-axis,
- the line x=3y,
- and the circle x2+y2=4.
Concept & Intuition
The circle has radius 2. The line x=3y passes through the origin and makes an angle with the x-axis. In the first quadrant, the x-axis is the ray at angle 0, and the line is another ray. The region is essentially a sector of the circle (from angle 0 to the angle of the line) minus a right triangle that lies under the line but outside the circle? Actually, careful: the region is bounded by the x-axis, the line, and the circle. That means we take the part of the circle in the first quadrant that lies above the x-axis and below the line? Let’s check: The line x=3y can be rewritten as y=3x. For a given x, this line gives a y value. The circle gives y=4−x2. The region is enclosed: the x-axis is the bottom, the line is one side, and the circular arc is the outer boundary. So the region is like a circular sector from angle 0 to the angle where the line meets the circle, minus the triangle formed by the origin, the intersection point, and the foot on the x-axis? Actually, no — the sector itself is bounded by two radii and the arc. Here one radius is the x-axis, the other is the line. So the region is exactly that sector. But wait: the x-axis and the line meet at the origin, and the arc of the circle from the x-axis intersection to the line intersection gives the curved boundary. So the region is just a sector of the circle. That makes the problem simple: find the angle between the x-axis and the line, then compute sector area.
Step-by-step solution
-
Find the angle of the line
The line is x=3y, i.e. y=31x. Its slope is 31, so the angle θ it makes with the positive x-axis satisfies tanθ=31. Hence θ=6π.
-
Sector area formula …
- KCET 2026Set UNKNOWN1 markMCQQ.The area of the region bounded by the curve y2=x3, the y-axis and the lines y=1 and y=8 is (A) 3155 sq. units (B) 593 sq. units (C) 93 sq. units (D) 155 sq. units
›Reveal solutionSolution
Since the region is bounded between y=1 and y=8, integrate with respect to y, expressing x in terms of y.
Step 1 — Express x in terms of y
y2=x3⟹x=y2/3
Step 2 — Set up the area integral
Area=∫18xdy=∫18y2/3dy=[5/3y5/3]18=53[y5/3]18
Step 3 — Substitute the limits …
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-A1 markMCQQ.The area of the region enclosed by the lines 2x+y=10,y=1,y=5 and the y-axis is (A) 28 sq units (B) 9.5 sq units (C) 14 sq units (D) 37.5 sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
Integrating x=210−y from y=1 to y=5 gives area =14 sq units.
The line 2x+y=10 gives x=210−y. The region is bounded on the left by the y-axis (x=0), on the right by this line, and horizontally between y=1 and y=5. Integrating with respect to y:
A=∫15xdy=∫15210−ydy=21[10y−2y2]15.
Evaluate: …
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-E1 markMCQQ.Area of the region bounded by the curve y=cosx between x=−2π and x=π is ------------------ (A) 3 sq units (B) 4 sq units (C) 1 sq units (D) 2 sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
The area is the integral of the absolute value of cosx from −π/2 to π, because area counts all region regardless of sign. The total area is 3 square units, so the correct option is (A).
The key idea: When we ask for the "area bounded by the curve," we mean the total geometric area, not the signed area (which would be the net integral). Since cosx is positive on some intervals and negative on others, we must split the interval at the zeros and take the absolute value of each piece.
1. Identify where cosx changes sign
Between x=−π/2 and x=π, the function cosx is zero at x=−π/2, x=π/2, and x=3π/2 (but 3π/2 is outside our range). So the only zero inside (−π/2,π) is at x=π/2.
- On [−π/2,π/2], cosx≥0
- On [π/2,π], cosx≤0
2. Set up the area as a sum of absolute integrals
Area=∫−π/2π/2cosxdx+∫π/2π(−cosx)dx
3. Compute the first integral
∫−π/2π/2cosxdx=sinx−π/2π/2=sin(π/2)−sin(−π/2)=1−(−1)=2
4. Compute the second integral
- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-E1 markMCQQ.If the area under the curve y=a2−x2 included between the lines x=0 and x=a is 4 sq units. Then the value of ' a ' is (A) π16 (B) π4 (C) π2 (D) π4
›Reveal solutionSolution
The curve y=a2−x2 is a semicircle of radius a; the area from x=0 to x=a is a quarter of a circle, so 41πa2=4, giving a=π4. The correct option is (D).
Concept & Intuition
The equation y=a2−x2 describes the upper half of a circle centered at the origin with radius a (since squaring gives x2+y2=a2, y≥0). The area under this curve from x=0 to x=a is exactly the area of one quarter of that circle — the part in the first quadrant. So instead of integrating, we can use the simple geometric fact: area of a quarter-circle of radius a is 41πa2. Setting that equal to 4 lets us solve for a directly.
Step-by-step reasoning
-
Recognize the shape
The function y=a2−x2 is defined for −a≤x≤a, and its graph is a semicircle of radius a above the x-axis. The area under it from x=0 to x=a is the region in the first quadrant bounded by the circle, the x-axis, and the y-axis.
-
Area of a quarter-circle
A full circle of radius a has area πa2. A semicircle (half) has area 21πa2. A quarter-circle (one-fourth) has area 41πa2. Our region is exactly that quarter.
-
Set up the equation
The problem states this area is 4 square units:
41πa2=4
- Solve for a Multiply both sides by 4:
πa2=16
Divide by π:
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- COMEDK 2025Set 2025-M1 markMCQQ.Area of the region bounded by the curve y=sin(2x) between −4π and 0 is (A) 4 sq units (B) 8 sq units (C) 6 sq units (D) 1 sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
The area is the integral of the absolute value of sin(x/2) from −4π to 0. Because the sine function is odd and symmetric, the total area equals 4 times the area of one positive lobe, giving 8 square units.
The key idea is that "area bounded by a curve" means the total geometric area, not the signed area. The function y=sin(x/2) crosses the x-axis at multiples of 2π, so between −4π and 0 it has two full positive lobes and two full negative lobes. Since area is always positive, we must integrate the absolute value.
-
Find the zeros of sin(x/2) in [−4π,0]
sin(x/2)=0 when x/2=nπ, i.e., x=2nπ.
For n=0,−1,−2, we get x=0,−2π,−4π. These split the interval into two equal subintervals: [−4π,−2π] and [−2π,0].
-
Determine the sign of sin(x/2) on each subinterval
- On (−4π,−2π): x/2 is between −2π and −π. Sine is negative there (since sine is negative in the third quadrant).
- On (−2π,0): x/2 is between −π and 0. Sine is positive there (since sine is positive in the fourth quadrant? Actually careful: sin(−θ)=−sinθ, so from −π to 0, sine goes from 0 to 0 through negative values? Let's check: sin(−π/2)=−1, so it's negative. Wait — let's re-evaluate.)
Watch outA common mistake: thinking sin(x/2) is positive on (−2π,0). Actually, for x in (−2π,0), x/2 is in (−π,0). Sine is negative on (−π,0) because sin(−θ)=−sinθ and sinθ>0 for θ in (0,π). So sin(x/2)<0 on (−2π,0) as well.
Let's check a test point: x=−π, then x/2=−π/2, sin(−π/2)=−1. So indeed both subintervals give negative values. That means the curve lies entirely below the x-axis from −4π to 0.
-
Set up the area integral
Since the function is negative everywhere on [−4π,0], the absolute value is −sin(x/2). The area is:
Area=∫−4π0sin(2x)dx=∫−4π0−sin(2x)dx
- Compute the integral Let u=x/2, so dx=2du. When x=−4π, u=−2π; when x=0, u=0. Then:
Area=∫u=−2π0−sin(u)⋅2du=−2∫−2π0sinudu
The antiderivative of sinu is −cosu, so:
−2[−cosu]−2π0=−2(−cos(0)+cos(−2π))=−2(−1+1)=−2(0)=0
That can't be right — we got zero? That's because we forgot that the integral of sinu over a full period is zero, but we are integrating the absolute value. The mistake: we assumed the function is negative everywhere, but actually it alternates sign.
TipAlways check the sign by testing a point in each subinterval. For x=−3π (in (−4π,−2π)), x/2=−3π/2, sin(−3π/2)=1 (positive!). So the sign flips: on (−4π,−2π) it's positive, on (−2π,0) it's negative. …
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- COMEDK 2024Set 2024-A1 markMCQQ.The area of the region (in sq units) bounded by the curve y=16−x2 and x-axis is (A) 20π (B) 16π (C) 256π (D) 8π
›Reveal solutionSolution
The curve y=16−x2 is the upper half of a circle of radius 4 centered at the origin. The area bounded by it and the x‑axis is half the area of that circle, which is 8π. The correct option is (D).
The key idea is recognizing the geometric shape hiding in the equation. When you see y=16−x2, think: if you square both sides, you get y2=16−x2, or x2+y2=16. That’s the equation of a circle centered at (0,0) with radius 4. But because the original equation takes only the non‑negative square root, y≥0. So the graph is just the top half of that circle — a semicircle.
The x‑axis (y=0) is the diameter. So the region bounded by the curve and the x‑axis is exactly that semicircle. The area is therefore half the area of the full circle.
-
Identify the shape
The equation y=16−x2 implies x2+y2=16 with y≥0. This is a semicircle of radius r=4.
-
Recall the area of a full circle
The area of a circle is Acircle=πr2. Here r=4, so
Acircle=π⋅42=16π.
- Take half for the semicircle The region is only the upper half, so
Asemicircle=21×16π=8π.
- Match with the options …
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- COMEDK 2024Set 2024-A1 markMCQQ.
[!FORMULA] The area of the region (in square units) bounded by the line y+3=x;x=1 and x=5 is
(A) 2 (B) 32 (C) 24 (D) 4›Reveal solutionSolution
The line y=x−3 crosses the x-axis at x=3, splitting the region between x=1 and x=5 into two equal triangular pieces; the total area is 4 square units — option (D).
Step-by-step solution
-
Rewrite the line.
y+3=x⇒y=x−3, which crosses the x-axis at x=3: below the axis for 1≤x≤3, above it for 3≤x≤5.
-
Set up the area as the sum of two pieces (taking the region between the line and the x-axis, the standard convention for this type of "area bounded by a line and two verticals" problem):
Area=∫13(3−x)dx+∫35(x−3)dx
- First integral.
[3x−2x2]13=(9−4.5)−(3−0.5)=4.5−2.5=2
- Second integral. [2x2−3x]35=(12.5−15)−(4.5−9)=−2.5−(−4.5)=2 …
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- COMEDK 2024Set 2024-E1 markMCQQ.The area bounded by the curve y=cosx,x=0 and x=π is (A) 2 sq units (B) 1 sq units (C) 4 sq units (D) 3 sq units
›Reveal solutionSolution
The area bounded by y=cosx, x=0, and x=π is found by integrating the absolute value of cosx because the curve dips below the x‑axis. The total area is 2 square units, so the correct option is (A).
The key idea here is that "area bounded by a curve and the x‑axis" means the geometric area — always positive — not the signed area (which would be the net integral). Since cosx is positive on [0,π/2] and negative on [π/2,π], we must split the integral and take the absolute value of the function.
Why this works:
If we simply integrated cosx from 0 to π, the positive part (from 0 to π/2) and the negative part (from π/2 to π) would cancel, giving zero — which is clearly not the actual area. The geometric area is the sum of the magnitudes of the regions above and below the axis.
Step‑by‑step reasoning:
-
Identify where the curve crosses the x‑axis.
y=cosx=0 when x=π/2 within [0,π]. So the curve is above the axis for 0≤x<π/2 and below for π/2<x≤π.
-
Set up the area as the sum of two absolute integrals.
Area=∫0π/2cosxdx+∫π/2π(−cosx)dx
The second integral uses −cosx because cosx is negative there, and we want the positive height.
- Evaluate the first integral.
∫0π/2cosxdx=[sinx]0π/2=sin(π/2)−sin(0)=1−0=1.
- Evaluate the second integral.
-
- COMEDK 2024Set 2024-M1 markMCQQ.The area (in sq units) of the minor segment bounded by the circle x2+y2=a2 and the line x=2a is (A) 4a2(π−2) (B) 4a2(π+2) (C) 4πa2 (D) 4a2(3π−2)
›Reveal solutionSolution
The minor segment area is found by subtracting the area of the triangle formed by the chord and the center from the area of the circular sector. The result is 4a2(π−2), which corresponds to option (A).
The key idea is that the area of a segment of a circle can be computed as the difference between the area of a sector and the area of the triangle formed by the two radii and the chord. Here, the chord is vertical, given by x=2a, and the circle is centered at the origin with radius a. The "minor segment" is the smaller part cut off by this chord.
Why this works: Instead of integrating directly (which is also possible), the sector-triangle method is cleaner because the geometry is symmetric and the angle subtended by the chord at the center is easy to find. The sector area is 21a2θ, and the triangle area is 21a2sinθ. Their difference gives the segment area.
- Find the angle subtended by the chord at the center. The line x=2a meets the circle x2+y2=a2 at points where
(2a)2+y2=a2⇒2a2+y2=a2⇒y2=2a2.
So y=±2a. The chord is vertical, and the radii to these intersection points make angles with the positive x-axis:
cosθ=ax=21⇒θ=4π.
Thus the central angle between the two radii is 2θ=2π (90°). This is the angle of the sector that contains the segment.
- Area of the sector. For a circle of radius a, the area of a sector with central angle 2π is
Sector area=21a2⋅2π=4πa2.
- Area of the triangle. The triangle formed by the two radii and the chord is isosceles with sides a,a and included angle 2π. Its area is
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