UNIVERSIDAD DE MONTERREY

VICERRECTORIA DE EDUCACIÓN MEDIA SUPERIOR

ACADEMIA DE MATEMÁTICAS
PROGRAMA MULTICULTURAL
MATEMÁTICAS APLICADAS

Guide 13 – Integrals
Basic Integrals
Sometimes it is important for us to be able to estimate the area under the curve of a function,
which might represent a quantity in which we are interested. For example, if we had a graph
of a motorist’s velocity as a function of time for a journey that lasted an hour, the area under
the curve would represent the distance traveled over the journey.

A method that can help me to find this area under the curve involves splitting the area up
into rectangles to give a lower an upper bound to the area under the curve.

For example, the function 𝑦 = 𝑥. We want to know the area under the curve between
𝑥 = 5 and 𝑥 = 7.
First, we draw the graph:
If we draw a rectangle the height of the value of the
function at 𝑥 = 5 which stretches across to the same
height above 𝑥 = 7 we get the shaded region. This
is called a left rectangle, as the height is given by the
function value on the left hand side of the interval.

Since 𝑓(5) = 5, the height of the rectangle is 5, and the width is 7 – 5 = 2, so the area of
the rectangle is 5 x 2 = 10.

Now we draw the following diagram:

For the height of the rectangle, we use the value of the

function at 𝑥 = 7, which is 𝑓(7) = 7. This is called a
right rectangle, and it has an area of 7 x 2 = 14.
The area under the line 𝑦 = 𝑥 between x = 5 and x = 7 must lie somewhere between 10
and 14 since the area of the right rectangle is bigger than the area under the line, and the
area of the left rectangle is smaller than the area under the line.
This means that if A is the area, then: 10 < 𝐴 < 14.

We can get a closer approximation to the area under this line by breaking the interval into
smaller pieces. Say we look at the function 𝑦 = 𝑥 at every ½ unit, and add up the area of
the rectangles formed by using as our intervals: [5.5, 5], [5.5, 6], [6, 6.5] and [6.5, 7]. The
left rectangles and right rectangles are shown below:

The area of each rectangle is found by multiplying the base by the height. The area given
by the left rectangles is the sum of:
5 11 6 13 1
(5.5 − 5)  f (5) + (6 − 5.5)  f (5.5) + (6.5 − 6)  f (6) + (7 − 6.5)  f (6.5) = + + + = 11
2 4 2 4 2

The area given by the right rectangles is:

11 6 13 7 1
(5.5 − 5)  f (5.5) + (6 − 5.5)  f (6) + (6.5 − 6)  f (6.5) + (7 − 6.5)  f (7) = + + + = 12
4 2 4 2 2

The lower and upped bounds on the area A, are now given by: 11.5 < 𝐴 < 12.5
By taking smaller and smaller intervals, we are going to bring the lower and upper bounds
closer and closer together and so we get a better approximation to the actual area.

Integration is a technique for finding, among other things, the area under curves.
Conceptually, it is like the method of left and right rectangles, but the number of subintervals
or rectangles is broken up to infinite, so we get an exact area where the lower and upper
bounds are equal.

Just as with the derivatives, integration has also very useful rules in order to help us to find
the anti-derivatives needed.
Basic integration rules

Constant rule ∫ 𝒌 ∙ 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑘 ∙ 𝑥 + 𝐶, where 𝑘 is a constant

Constant multiple rule ∫ 𝒌𝒇(𝒙)𝒅𝒙 = 𝑘 ∫ 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥, where 𝑘 is a constant

𝑥 𝑛+1
Power rule ∫ 𝒙𝒏 𝒅𝒙 = 𝑛+1
+ 𝐶, where 𝑛 ≠ −1

Sum/difference rule ∫[𝒇(𝒙) ± 𝒈(𝒙)]𝒅𝒙 = ∫ 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 ± ∫ 𝑔(𝑥)𝑑𝑥

Example 1
Solve the following integral ∫ 𝑥𝑑𝑥.
𝑥1+1
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
1+1
𝑥2
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
2
Example 2
Solve the following integral ∫ 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥.
𝑥 2+1
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
2+1
𝑥3
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
3
Example 3
Solve the following integral ∫ 4𝑥5 𝑑𝑥.

∫ 4𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥 = 4 ∫ 4𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥
𝑥 5+1
𝑓(𝑥) = 4 ( )+𝐶
5+1
4𝑥 6
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
6
2𝑥 6
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
3
Example 4
Solve the following integral ∫[𝑥 6 + 𝑥 3 ]𝑑𝑥.

∫[𝑥 6 + 𝑥 3 ]𝑑𝑥 = ∫ 𝑥 6 𝑑𝑥 + ∫ 𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥
𝑥 6+1 𝑥 3+1
𝑓(𝑥) = + +𝐶
6+1 3+1
𝑥7 𝑥4
𝑓(𝑥) = + +𝐶
7 4
Example 5
1
Solve the following integral ∫ 𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥.
1
∫ 5 𝑑𝑥 = ∫ 𝑥 −5 𝑑𝑥
𝑥
𝑥 −5+1
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
−5 + 1
−4
𝑥
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
−4
1
𝑓(𝑥) = − 4 + 𝐶
4𝑥
Example 7
5
Solve the following integral ∫ √𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥.
2
𝑓(𝑥) = ∫ 𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥
2
𝑥 5+1
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
2
+1
5
7
𝑥5
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
7
5
7
5𝑥 5
𝑓(𝑥) = +𝐶
7

Definite integrals
The area under the curve 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) between 𝑥 = 𝑎 and 𝑥 = 𝑏,

where 𝑓(𝑥) > 0 for a < 𝑥 < 𝑏, is given by the formula

b
A =  f ( x)d ( x)
a

This is read as the integral of the function 𝑓(𝑥) from 𝑎 to 𝑏, where 𝑎 is taken to be the

smaller number.

The integral can be evaluated using

b
A =  f ( x)d ( x) = F ( x) a = F (b) − F (a)
b
a

Where 𝐹(𝑥) is an anti-derivative of 𝑓(𝑥).

This is called a definite integral because we integrate between two given values, 𝑥 = 𝑎
and 𝑥 = 𝑏 to obtain a single value.
A definite integral for a continuous function f(x) with antiderivative f ‘(x) is given by:
𝑏
∫ 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 = 𝑓(𝑏) − 𝑓(𝑎)
𝑎

𝑏
∫𝑎 𝑓(𝑥)𝑑𝑥 reads as follows:
● “the integral from 𝑥 = 𝑎 to 𝑥 = 𝑏 of 𝑓(𝑥) with respect to 𝑥”.
● “the integral of 𝑎 to 𝑏 of 𝑓(𝑥) with respect to 𝑥”.

When calculating definite integrals, the constant of integration C can be omitted, since it will
cancel out in the subtraction.

Example 8
2
Find ∫1 (𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 + 5)𝑑𝑥.
𝑥4 2
𝑓(𝑥) = [ − 2𝑥 2 + 5𝑥]
4 1
(2) 4 (1)4
2
𝑓(𝑥) = ( − 2(2) + 5(2)) − ( − 2(1)2 + 5(1))
4 4
13
𝑓(𝑥) = 6 −
4
11
𝑓(𝑥) =
4

Example 9
4 3
Find ∫1 (2𝑥 + 𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥 .
4
𝑓(𝑥) = ∫ (2𝑥 + 3𝑥 −2 )𝑑𝑥
1
3 4
𝑓(𝑥) = [𝑥 2 − ]
𝑥
1
3 3
𝑓(𝑥) = ((4) − ) − ((1)2 − )
2
4 1
3
𝑓(𝑥) = (16 − ) − (1 − 3)
4
69
𝑓(𝑥) =
4
 UNIVERSIDAD DE MONTERREY
VICERRECTORIA DE EDUCACIÓN MEDIA SUPERIOR
ACADEMIA DE MATEMÁTICAS
PROGRAMA MULTICULTURAL
MATEMÁTICAS APLICADAS

Lab 13 – Integrals
Name: ___________________________________________ ID: ___________
I. Use the integration rules to solve the following indefinite integrals.

1. ∫ 3 𝑑𝑥 2. ∫ −𝜋 𝑑𝑥

3. ∫ 4 𝑑𝑎 4. ∫ 2𝑥 𝑑𝑥

1
5. ∫ 3𝑥 𝑑𝑥 6. ∫ 𝑥 𝑑𝑥
2

7. ∫ −2𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥 8. ∫ 12𝑥 4 𝑑𝑥

5 1
9. ∫ − 𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥 10. ∫ − 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥

6
11. ∫ √𝑥𝑑𝑥 12. ∫ 𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥
 3
13. ∫ √𝑥 5 𝑑𝑥 14. ∫[5 𝑥 3 + 2𝑥 2 ]𝑑𝑥

15. ∫(−15𝑥 4 − 8𝑥 3 ) 𝑑𝑥 6
16. ∫[ √𝑥 + 𝑥]𝑑𝑥

17. ∫[𝑥 + 3𝑥 2 + 5𝑥 7 ]𝑑𝑥 1

18. ∫[𝑥 2 + 𝑥 −3 ]𝑑𝑥

1 1
19. ∫[𝑥 − 6𝑥 3 + √𝑥 3 ]𝑑𝑥 20. ∫ [𝑥 2 + 𝑥 −5 ] 𝑑𝑥
II. Determine the following definite integrals.

2 2
1. ∫−3 −2𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2. ∫0 𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥

1 2
3. ∫0 3𝑥 2 𝑑𝑥 4. ∫1 (𝑥 4 + 1) 𝑑𝑥

3 4
5. ∫−2(−2𝑥 + 1) 𝑑𝑥 6. ∫2 (−2𝑥 + 1) 𝑑𝑥

3 4
7. ∫0 (3𝑥 − 𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥 8. ∫2 (3𝑥 − 𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥

3 2
9. ∫0 (𝑥 3 + 4𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥 10. ∫0 (3𝑥 2 − 𝑥 + 6) 𝑑𝑥

2 1 2 1
11. ∫1 (𝑥 2 + 𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥 12. ∫1 (𝑥 2 + 𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥
 3 2 3 4 6
13. ∫1 (4𝑥 3 − 𝑥 4 ) 𝑑𝑥 14. ∫2 (𝑥 3 − 𝑥 4 ) 𝑑𝑥

4 1 4 5
15. ∫2 (𝑥 3 + 𝑥 4 ) 𝑑𝑥 16. ∫1 (1 + 𝑥 2 ) 𝑑𝑥

3 3 1 3 3 1
17. ∫0 (2 − + ) 𝑑𝑥 18. ∫1 (2 − + ) 𝑑𝑥
𝑥2 𝑥3 𝑥2 𝑥3

2 2 6
19. ∫1 (2𝑥 2 + √𝑥 3 + 6) 𝑑𝑥 20. ∫0 (𝑥 2 + √𝑥 5 − √𝑥 3 ) 𝑑𝑥

This is my own work and was carried out in strict adherence to the honor code; any text or
reference that was not of my authorship is cited, including sources extracted using artificial
intelligence. I am aware that any academic dishonesty is graded with zero, and the protocols
apply according to the Academic Integrity Committee of Prepa UDEM.

Signature: ______________________________