Math Problem Statement

Estimate the area under the graph of f(x) = 1/x from x = 1 to x = 2 using four approximating rectangles and right endpoints. (Round your answer to four decimal places.)

Solution

To estimate the area under the graph of f(x)=1xf(x) = \frac{1}{x} from x=1x = 1 to x=2x = 2 using four approximating rectangles with right endpoints, we follow these steps:

  1. Interval Width (Δx\Delta x): The interval from x=1x = 1 to x=2x = 2 is divided into four equal parts, so: Δx=214=0.25\Delta x = \frac{2 - 1}{4} = 0.25

  2. Right Endpoints: With Δx=0.25\Delta x = 0.25, the right endpoints are: x1=1.25,x2=1.5,x3=1.75,x4=2x_1 = 1.25, \quad x_2 = 1.5, \quad x_3 = 1.75, \quad x_4 = 2

  3. Function Values at Right Endpoints: f(1.25)=11.25=0.8f(1.25) = \frac{1}{1.25} = 0.8 f(1.5)=11.50.6667f(1.5) = \frac{1}{1.5} \approx 0.6667 f(1.75)=11.750.5714f(1.75) = \frac{1}{1.75} \approx 0.5714 f(2)=12=0.5f(2) = \frac{1}{2} = 0.5

  4. Approximate Area: The area is approximated by the sum of the areas of the rectangles, each with width Δx=0.25\Delta x = 0.25 and height f(xi)f(x_i): Area0.25×(0.8+0.6667+0.5714+0.5)=0.25×2.5381=0.6345\text{Area} \approx 0.25 \times (0.8 + 0.6667 + 0.5714 + 0.5) = 0.25 \times 2.5381 = 0.6345

Your answer of 0.63450.6345 is indeed correct.

Would you like a breakdown of any part of this solution, or have further questions?


  1. What if the number of rectangles is increased for better accuracy?
  2. How would the answer change if we used left endpoints instead?
  3. How do we find the exact area under the curve analytically?
  4. What would be the midpoint approximation for this interval?
  5. How does the area approximation compare with the integral's actual value?

Tip: Increasing the number of rectangles generally improves the approximation accuracy by reducing the error.

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Math Problem Analysis

Mathematical Concepts

Integral Approximation
Riemann Sums
Area under a Curve

Formulas

Right Riemann Sum: Area ≈ Σ [f(x_i) * Δx]

Theorems

Riemann Sum Approximation

Suitable Grade Level

College Calculus