Analyzing the Setup
The problem asks for the area bounded by the curves y=∣x−1∣ and y=3−∣x∣. These functions represent two V-shaped graphs interacting on the Cartesian plane.
The first curve, y=∣x−1∣, is an upright V-shape with its vertex at (1,0). The second curve, y=3−∣x∣, is an inverted V-shape with its vertex at (0,3).
Finding the Intersection Points
To determine the boundaries of the region, we set the functions equal to each other:
∣x−1∣=3−∣x∣
We analyze this across different intervals:
For
x<0:
−(x−1)=3−(−x)⇒1−x=3+x⇒2x=−2⇒x=−1
At
x=−1, the height is
y=2.
For
x≥1:
(x−1)=3−x⇒2x=4⇒x=2
At
x=2, the height is
y=1.
The region of interest is trapped between x=−1 and x=2.
The Calculus of Slicing
The area is defined by the integral of the upper curve minus the lower curve:
Area=∫−12(yupper−ylower)dx
Because the modulus functions change behavior at x=0 and x=1, we split the integral into three segments:
Segment 1 (x∈[−1,0]):
A1=∫−10((3+x)−(1−x))dx=∫−10(2+2x)dx=[2x+x2]−10=0−(−2+1)=1
Segment 2 (x∈[0,1]):
A2=∫01((3−x)−(1−x))dx=∫012dx=[2x]01=2
Segment 3 (x∈[1,2]):
A3=∫12((3−x)−(x−1))dx=∫12(4−2x)dx=[4x−x2]12=(8−4)−(4−1)=1
Final Calculation
Summing the areas of these three segments, we obtain the total area:
Area=1+2+1=4
The total area bounded by the two curves is 4 square units.