How do you estimate the area under the graph of #y=2x^3+4x# from 0 to 3 using 4 approximating rectangles of equal width and right endpoints?

1 Answer
Feb 24, 2015

Dividing the width #0# to #3# into #4# rectangles of equal width
implies that each rectangle will have a width of #3/4#.
(This would have been so much easier with #3# rectangles).

The #1st# rectangle will have
Left Edge at #x=0# and Right Edge at #x=3/4#
with corresponding #y# values of Left y #= 0# and Right y #= 3.84#
(plugging the x Left and Right Edge values into the given formula to obtain the y Left and Right values).

...and so on for the #2nd#, #3rd#, and #4th# rectangles with corresponding Right y values of #12.75#, #31.78#, and #66#
(it's only the Right y values that of interest to us in this case).

enter image source here

The areas of the 4 rectangles (using the Right endpoints) are
#3/4 xx 3.84#,
#3/4 xx 12.75#,
#3/4 xx 31.78#, and
#3/4 xx 66#

Giving at total area of
# 2.88 + 9.56 + 23.84 + 49.50#
#=85.78#

(Note that the graph is representational and not accurate, and that all calculations are only carried out to 2 significant places to the right of the decimal point).