Math Problem Statement

Compute the integral \( \int_3^{13} f(x) \, dx \), where the graph of \( f \) is the red curve given in the figure. Note: On the graph of \( f \), all points that are relevant for this computation have integer coordinates; the blue line is just for reference and is not the \( x \)-axis.

Solution

To solve this problem, we need to compute the integral

313f(x)dx\int_3^{13} f(x) \, dx

where the graph of f(x)f(x) is given. The area under this curve, bounded between x=3x = 3 and x=13x = 13, represents the integral. From the graph, we can see that the curve is composed of two distinct sections:

  1. A straight line from x=3x = 3 to x=6x = 6.
  2. A semicircle with a radius of 4 centered at x=9x = 9 and spanning from x=5x = 5 to x=13x = 13.

We will calculate the area under each section separately.

Step 1: Area under the Line Segment from x=3x = 3 to x=5x = 5

The line segment from x=3x = 3 to x=5x = 5 has a triangular shape. It starts at the point (3,0)(3, 0) and rises linearly to (5,4)(5, 4). The area of this triangle can be calculated as:

Area=12×base×height=12×(53)×4=12×2×4=4\text{Area} = \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} = \frac{1}{2} \times (5 - 3) \times 4 = \frac{1}{2} \times 2 \times 4 = 4

Step 2: Area under the Semicircle from x=5x = 5 to x=13x = 13

The semicircle extends horizontally from x=5x = 5 to x=13x = 13 with a radius of 4, centered at x=9x = 9. The area of a full circle with radius r=4r = 4 would be:

Area of full circle=πr2=π×42=16π\text{Area of full circle} = \pi r^2 = \pi \times 4^2 = 16\pi

Since we only need the area of the upper half (a semicircle), we take half of this value:

Area of semicircle=12×16π=8π\text{Area of semicircle} = \frac{1}{2} \times 16\pi = 8\pi

Step 3: Total Area under f(x)f(x) from x=3x = 3 to x=13x = 13

Adding the areas from the line segment and the semicircle gives:

313f(x)dx=4+8π\int_3^{13} f(x) \, dx = 4 + 8\pi

Final Answer

The exact answer to the integral is:

313f(x)dx=4+8π\int_3^{13} f(x) \, dx = 4 + 8\pi

Would you like further details or have any questions?


Follow-Up Questions

  1. How would the answer change if the semicircle were below the xx-axis?
  2. What would happen if we integrated from x=0x = 0 to x=13x = 13?
  3. How do we interpret the integral geometrically if the function changes below and above the xx-axis?
  4. How would we approach this if the curve included multiple semicircles?
  5. What is the importance of symmetry in calculating areas for shapes like semicircles?

Tip

When interpreting areas under curves for integrals, splitting the region based on shapes (like triangles and semicircles) often simplifies the calculation.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Integration
Area under a curve
Semicircles
Triangles

Formulas

Area of a triangle = \( \frac{1}{2} \times \text{base} \times \text{height} \)
Area of a circle = \( \pi r^2 \)
Integral of \( f(x) \) from \( a \) to \( b \) represents area under the curve

Theorems

Definite Integral as Area

Suitable Grade Level

University Level - Calculus I