Need some clearing up on this question. (1 Viewer)

[BlueGas]

When I did question 7 on the page below, I got 0 and thought that can't be right since an area can't be zero, I did it again and I got -128 but an area can't be negative so my final answer was 128. I looked at the right answer and the answer is zero.

I just want to get this straight, if it's asking to EVALUATE and not calculate the area, the answer can be zero, but if it's asking for the AREA, the area can't be zero, correct?

 

[EpikHigh]

When I did question 7 on the page below, I got 0 and thought that can't be right since an area can't be zero, I did it again and I got -128 but an area can't be negative so my final answer was 128. I looked at the right answer and the answer is zero.

I just want to get this straight, if it's asking to EVALUATE and not calculate the area, the answer can be zero, but if it's asking for the AREA, the area can't be zero, correct?

F(x) = x^3 is an odd function, and you're integrating from -4 to 4 think about that

 

[InteGrand]

In general, a definite integral isn't a physical area, it's a signed area. So you don't always get positive values for definite integrals.

 

[astroman]

it just asks to integrate, and i got 0 too.

 

[InteGrand]

If they're asking for an area (i.e. physical area), the answer needs to be positive, but if they're just asking for a value of a definite integral, you just evaluate it normally.

 

[BlueGas]

In general, a definite integral isn't a physical area, it's a signed area. So you don't always get positive values for definite integrals.

So basically you can get zero as an answer for evaluating?

 

[BLIT2014]

So basically you can get zero as an answer for evaluating?

Yes.

 

[BlueGas]

Yes.

Thank you.