MHT-CET Maths · Teaching notes
Applications of Definite Integral — MHT-CET Maths
Applications of Definite Integral is the most concentrated chapter in MHT-CET Maths: one skill, area, asked in three guises, at about one question a paper. The integration is never the hard part — it is a polynomial, a square root or a standard circle result. The marks are won and lost in the setup: sketching the region, finding where the curves meet, deciding which curve is on top over each stretch, and choosing whether to slice vertically or horizontally. Work the pages below in order. The first teaches the setup on a single curve, the second adds a second boundary and the intersection step that most wrong answers skip, and the third collects the circle, ellipse and hyperbola regions that need one standard integral learnt cold. Every PYQ is tagged.
Every subtopic, worked example, formula and trap in one printable document — answers shown, ready to share.
Subtopic notes
Area Under a Curve — Between a Curve and an Axis
14 PYQsThe area between y = f(x) and the x-axis from a to b is ∫|f(x)| dx — sketch, find where the curve meets the axis, and integrate each piece with a positive sign.
Open note
Area Between Two Curves — Intersections First
21 PYQsThe area between two curves is ∫(upper − lower) dx between their intersection points — so the intersections are found first, the top curve is decided over each stretch, and only then is anything integrated.
Open note
Areas of Circles, Ellipses and Hyperbolas — Sectors, Segments and Standard Integrals
9 PYQsCircle, ellipse and hyperbola regions need one integral learnt cold — ∫√(a² − x²) dx — plus the sector and quarter-ellipse shortcuts that avoid integrating at all.
Open note
PYQ weightage by concept
13 concepts · 44 PYQs — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first
PYQ weightage by concept
13 concepts · 44 PYQs — where the marks actually sit, so you know what to drill first
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| When the Curve Crosses the Axis: Split and Take Each Piece Positive | 4 | 9% |
| Curves Given as x = g(y): Integrate in y | 3 | 7% |
| Recover the Curve First: Unknown Coefficients and a Given Derivative | 3 | 7% |
| Area Under a Curve Is an Integral of |y| | 2 | 5% |
| Dividing an Area in Half, and the Integral as Accumulated Change | 2 | 5% |
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solve for the Intersections, Then Integrate Upper Minus Lower | 8 | 18% |
| Two Parabolas Through the Origin, and Regions With Mirror Symmetry | 6 | 14% |
| Horizontal Strips: Integrate (Right − Left) in y | 5 | 11% |
| Regions Described by Several Inequalities: Sketch, Then Split Where the Top Changes | 2 | 5% |
| Concept | PYQs | Share |
|---|---|---|
| The Circle Integral ∫√(a² − x²) dx, Quarter Discs and Sectors | 3 | 7% |
| The Smaller Segment of a Circle Cut by a Vertical Line | 2 | 5% |
| Ellipse Arc Minus Chord: Quarter-Ellipse Minus Triangle | 2 | 5% |
| Hyperbola Segments and Circle-Parabola Regions | 2 | 5% |
Formula & revision sheet
13 formulas · 13 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet
Formula & revision sheet
13 formulas · 13 gotchas across all subtopics — the exam-eve cheat-sheet
Formulas (5)
- Area Under a Curve Is an Integral of |y| · Area under a curve
- When the Curve Crosses the Axis: Split and Take Each Piece Positive · Area across a sign change
- Curves Given as x = g(y): Integrate in y · Horizontal strips
- Recover the Curve First: Unknown Coefficients and a Given Derivative · Two conditions, two unknowns
- Dividing an Area in Half, and the Integral as Accumulated Change · Halving and accumulation
Watch out for (5)
- Integrating over the wrong interval→ Area Under a Curve Is an Integral of |y|
- Reporting the signed integral as the area→ When the Curve Crosses the Axis: Split and Take Each Piece Positive
- Forgetting the lower half of a sideways parabola→ Curves Given as x = g(y): Integrate in y
- Answering a when a − b was asked→ Recover the Curve First: Unknown Coefficients and a Given Derivative
- Reporting the change instead of the new level→ Dividing an Area in Half, and the Integral as Accumulated Change
Formulas (4)
- Solve for the Intersections, Then Integrate Upper Minus Lower · Area between two curves
- Two Parabolas Through the Origin, and Regions With Mirror Symmetry · Two standard parabola results
- Horizontal Strips: Integrate (Right − Left) in y · Horizontal strips between two curves
- Regions Described by Several Inequalities: Sketch, Then Split Where the Top Changes · Piecewise ceiling
Watch out for (4)
- Lower minus upper→ Solve for the Intersections, Then Integrate Upper Minus Lower
- Counting a branch that is not there→ Two Parabolas Through the Origin, and Regions With Mirror Symmetry
- Vertical strips on a sideways parabola→ Horizontal Strips: Integrate (Right − Left) in y
- One ceiling for the whole interval→ Regions Described by Several Inequalities: Sketch, Then Split Where the Top Changes
Formulas (4)
- The Circle Integral ∫√(a² − x²) dx, Quarter Discs and Sectors · Circle integral and sector
- The Smaller Segment of a Circle Cut by a Vertical Line · Minor segment
- Ellipse Arc Minus Chord: Quarter-Ellipse Minus Triangle · Arc minus chord
- Hyperbola Segments and Circle-Parabola Regions · Hyperbola integral and the circle-parabola region
Watch out for (4)
- Reading x = y√3 as a 60° line→ The Circle Integral ∫√(a² − x²) dx, Quarter Discs and Sectors
- Forgetting the factor 2 for the lower half→ The Smaller Segment of a Circle Cut by a Vertical Line
- Using πab/2 for the quadrant→ Ellipse Arc Minus Chord: Quarter-Ellipse Minus Triangle
- Setting up the circle-parabola region as one integral→ Hyperbola Segments and Circle-Parabola Regions