Analyzing the Setup
Imagine standing before two distinct mathematical entities: a sleek, sweeping rectangular hyperbola defined by xy+4y=16 and a sharp, decisive straight line x+y=6. Our mission is to find the space they trap between them—the area enclosed by their intersection.
First, let us bring these equations into a form that speaks to us. The hyperbola, when we isolate y, becomes:
The line is even friendlier: y=6−x. These are our two actors.
The Meeting Point
Before we can measure the area, we must know where the stage begins and ends. To find where these curves meet, we set their y values equal:
Multiplying both sides by (x+4), we get 16=(6−x)(x+4). Expanding this, we find 16=6x+24−x2−4x, which simplifies to the quadratic equation:
Factoring this, we find (x−4)(x+2)=0. Our boundaries are set at x=−2 and x=4. These are the gates of our integration.
The Integral of Discovery
Now, we must sum up the infinitesimal strips of area between these curves. We know from our test point that the line sits above the hyperbola in this interval.
Thus, our integral is:
We integrate term by term: the integral of 6 is 6x, the integral of −x is −2x2, and the integral of −x+416 is −16ln∣x+4∣. We evaluate this expression from −2 to 4.
The Final Calculation
Substituting the upper limit x=4:
6(4)−242−16ln(4+4)=24−8−16ln8=16−16ln8
Substituting the lower limit x=−2:
6(−2)−2(−2)2−16ln(−2+4)=−12−2−16ln2=−14−16ln2
Subtracting the lower limit from the upper limit, we get:
(16−16ln8)−(−14−16ln2)=30−16ln8+16ln2
Since ln8=3ln2, this becomes:
30−16(3ln2)+16ln2=30−48ln2+16ln2=30−32ln2
The final area enclosed by the two curves is 30−32ln2 square units.