Hagan 1

Olivia Hagan

Mr. Acre

AP Calculus

10 March 2020

Riemann Sums

It is often said there is more than one way to do something correctly. In mathematics,

there is almost always more than one approach to solve something. Whether it is solving an

equation or finding the volume of a container, each approach (although different) results in the

same outcome. This same idea applies to one of the most essential components of calculus: the

integral. The integral, also known as the area under a curve, can be calculated using a myriad of

different methods. Such methods include Riemann sum, the trapezoid rule, and Simpson’s rule.

While each approach may differ in method and process, they are all interesting ways to find the

integral, one of the most crucial concepts of calculus . All graphs, unless otherwise noted, were

created in Desmos graphing software and edited in Microsoft Paint (Rahman).

The first approach is a Riemann sum, which approximates the area under the curve by

dividing the area underneath the curve into rectangles and then summing the area of the

rectangles. It is more formally defined as approximating the area under a curve on some interval

[a, b] using an ​n​ number of subintervals to create ​n ​number of rectangles with widths equal to

Δx and heights equal to f (x) . The rectangles created by the subinterval ​n​, have widths equal to

Δx , which is the length of each subinterval, and heights equal to f (x) , or the value of the

b−a
function at a particular x value. The value of Δx is calculated by n
, where ‘​b​’ and ‘​a​’ are the

endpoints of the interval, and ‘​n​’ is the number of subintervals. The approximation of the area
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under the curve becomes more accurate as the widths of the rectangles become smaller, and the

number of rectangles becomes larger. Thus, as Δx approaches zero, the widths of the rectangles

become infinitely smaller, and the number of rectangles increases and approaches the true area

underneath the curve. There are five different types of Riemann sums: left, right, midpoint,

upper, and lower. Each type uses the same equation, however, how the height of the rectangles is

chosen differs. Detailed below are examples of each type of Riemann sum, each using the

function f (x) = (x − 3)4 + 2(x − 3)3 − 4(x − 3) + 5 and approximating the area under the curve

on the interval from x=1 to x=5 with two subintervals.

In a left Riemann sum, the height of each rectangle is the left-most point within each

subinterval, as seen in Figure 1 below. For this example, the subintervals are from x=1 to x=3,

and from x=3 to x=5. The left-most point within the first subinterval is f (1) = 13 , and in the

second subinterval, it is f (3) = 5 . These values are the heights of each rectangle within their

respective subintervals. The Δx value, or the width, of the rectangles is 2 units.

Figure 1. Left Riemann Sum

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The figure above shows an example of a left Riemann sum with two subintervals, and

thus two rectangles. The black rectangle is on the first subinterval and has a height of f (1) , and

the purple rectangle is on the second subinterval and has a height of f (3) . This method of

approximation will over approximate the area underneath the curve as about 40% of the

rectangle on the subinterval x=1 to x=3 is above the curve.

L2 = f (x1 )(Δx1 ) + f (x2 )(Δx2 )

L2 = f (1)(2) + f (3)(2)

L2 = (13)(2) + (5)(2)

L2 = 26 + 10

L2 = 36 un2

Figure 2. Left Riemann Sum Calculation

The above figure shows the calculation for the left Riemann sum example. There are two

subintervals, and thus two rectangles are used. The first rectangle has a height equal to f (1) and a

width of 2. The second rectangle has a height equal to f (3) and a width of 2 units. As the area of

a rectangle is equal to height multiplied by the width, the area for each rectangle is found by

multiplying the f (x) value for the height and the Δx value for the width. The left Reiman sum

approximated the area under the curve to be 36 un2 .

In a right Riemann sum, the height of each rectangle is the right-most point within each

subinterval, as seen in Figure 3 below. For this example, the subintervals are from x=1 to x=3,

and from x=3 to x=5. The right-most point within the first subinterval is f (3) = 5 , and in the

second subinterval, it is f (5) = 29 , which are the heights of each rectangle within their
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respective subintervals. The Δx value, or the width, of the rectangles is 2 units. The calculation

for the area approximation is shown in Figure 4.

Figure 3. Right Riemann Sum

The figure above displays the example for a right Riemann sum used to approximate the

area under the curve on the interval from x=1 to x=5 with two subintervals. The height of the

first rectangle is equal to f (3) and the height of the second rectangle is equal to f (5) . This

method of approximation will greatly overestimate the area under the curve as about 80% of the

rectangle on the subinterval x=3 to x=5 is above the curve, and thus is accounting for more area.
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R2 = f (x1 )(Δx1 ) + f (x2 )(Δx2 )

R2 = f (3)(2) + f (5)(2)

R2 = (5)(2) + (29)(2)

R2 = 10 + 58

R2 = 68 un2

Figure 4. Right Riemann Sum Calculation

Figure 4 above shows the calculation for the right Riemann sum example. There are two

rectangles, with the height of the first one being f (3) = 5 and the height of the second one being

f (5) = 2 . The area of each rectangle was found by multiplying the height by the width, and then

their areas being summed together to result in an area approximation of 68 un2 .

The next type of Riemann sum is a midpoint Riemann sum, which creates the height of

each rectangle by taking the f (x) value for the x value that is the midpoint of the subinterval. For

the first subinterval of x=1 to x=3, the midpoint is at x=2. For the second subinterval of x=3 to

x=5, the midpoint is x=4, as seen in Figure 5. The width of each subinterval remains 2 units, and

the area approximation calculation is seen in Figure 6.

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Figure 5. Midpoint Riemann Sum

The figure above graphically displays the midpoint Riemann sum for the area

approximation for the area under the curve from x=1 to x=5 with two subintervals. The height of

the rectangle in the first subinterval is equal to f (2) = 8 and the height of the second rectangle is

equal to f (4) = 4 , which are both the midpoints of each of the two subintervals. This method of

approximation will underestimate the area under the curve, as much of the area on the

subinterval x=3 to x=5 is not accounted for.

M 2 = f (x1 )(Δx1 ) + f (x2 )(Δx2 )

M 2 = f (2)(2) + f (4)(2)

M 2 = (8)(2) + (4)(2)

M 2 = 16 + 8

M 2 = 24 un2

Figure 6. Midpoint Riemann Sum Calculation

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The figure above displays the midpoint Riemann sum calculation for the approximation

of the area under the curve in Figure 5 above. The height of each rectangle is equal to the f (x)

value that is the midpoint value of the subintervals, and the width is equal to Δx , the length of

each subinterval. The height of the first rectangle is 8 as that is the value of f (4) and the width is

2 units as the subinterval is from x=1 to x=3. The height of the second rectangle is 4 as that is the

value of f (4) and the width is 2 units as the subinterval is from x=3 to x=5. The area of each

rectangle was found and the summed to approximate the area as 24 un2 .

The next type of Riemann sum is the upper Riemann sum, which creates the height of

each rectangle by taking the highest value of f (x) within each subinterval (see Figure 7 below).

The width of each rectangle remains Δx . The height of the rectangle within the first subinterval

of x=1 to x=3 is equal to f (1) and the width is 2 units. The height of the rectangle within the

second subinterval of x=3 to x=5 is equal to f (5) and the width is 2 units, see Figure 8 for the

area approximation calculation.

Figure 7. Upper Riemann Sum

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The figure above displays the graphical representation of the upper Riemann sum

example. The height of each rectangle is equal to the highest f (x) value within each subinterval

and the width equal to the Δx value of each subinterval. This method will overestimate the area

under the curve as on both intervals there is a large portion of the rectangles that is above the

curve, accounting for more area than there actually is.

U 2 = f (x1 )(Δx1 ) + f (x2 )(Δx2 )

U 2 = f (1)(2) + f (5)(2)

U 2 = (13)(2) + (29)(2)

U 2 = 26 + 58

U 2 = 84 un2

Figure 8. Upper Riemann Sum Calculation

Figure 8 shows the calculation for the area approximation under the curve using an upper

Reimann sum. The height of the first rectangle is equal to 13 units as that is the value of f (1)

and the width is 2 units. The height of the second rectangle is equal to 29 units as that is the

value of f (5) and the width is equal to 2 units. The area of each rectangle was found and then

summed to approximate the area under the curve to be 84 un2 .

The final type of Riemann sum is the lower Riemann sum. The height of each rectangle is

equal to the smallest f (x) value within the subinterval, otherwise referred to as the lowest point

on the curve within that subinterval, see Figure 9. For the first subinterval of x=1 to x=3, the

lowest point is when x=3, and for the second subinterval of x=3 to x=5 the lowest point is when

x=3.68, see Figure 10 for the area approximation calculation.

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Figure 9. Lower Riemann Sum

The graph above displays the example of using a lower Riemann sum to approximate the

area under the curve. The height of each rectangle is the lowest f (x) value within each

subinterval. The height of the rectangle in the first subinterval is equal to f (3) = 5 and the

height of the rectangle in the second subinterval is equal to f (3.68) = 3.125. This method will

underestimate the area under the curve as the summation of the area of the rectangles are not

accounting for about 50% of the area underneath the curve.

L2 = f (x1 )(Δx1 ) + f (x2 )(Δx2 )

L2 = f (3)(2) + f (3.68)(2)

L2 = (5)(2) + (3.125)(2)

L2 = 10 + 6.25

L2 = 16.25 un2

Figure 10. Lower Riemann Sum Calculation

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The figure above displays the calculation for the lower Riemann sum example. The area

of each rectangle created by the two subintervals was found and then summed to approximate the

area under the curve from x=1 to x=5, which was found to be 16.25 un2 .

The next method for approximating the area underneath a curve is to use the trapezoid

rule. The trapezoid rule is similar to Riemann sums, in that instead of the area underneath the

curve being divided into rectangles, the area underneath the curves is divided into trapezoids. It

is more formally defined as approximating the area under a curve on some interval [a, b] using

an ​n​ number of subintervals to create ​n ​number of trapezoids with heights equal to Δx and each

base equal to an f (x) value, see Figure 11 for the formal equation below. The area formula for a

trapezoid one half multiplied by base one added with base two, multiplied by the height. The

area of each trapezoid is found and then summed to approximate the area under the curve. As

with Riemann sums, as the number of trapezoids increases or the Δx value decreases, the

accuracy of the area approximation increases, thus as approaches zero the area approximation

approaches the true area underneath the curve.

T n = ( 12 (b0 + b1 ) * Δx0 ) + ( 12 (b1 + b2 ) * Δx1 ) + ( 12 (b2 + b3 ) * Δx2 ) ... + 12 (bn−1 + bn ) * Δxn )

T n = 12 (b0 + b1 + b1 + b2 + b2 + b3 + ... bn−1 + bn ) * Δx

Figure 11. Trapezoid Rule Formula

The above figure displays the formula for the trapezoid rule. The first formula line

represents the formula for when the heights of each trapezoid are different. T n is the area under

the curve, the “​b”​ s in the formula are the values of the bases of each trapezoid which are equal

to the f (x) value, and Δx is the height of each trapezoid. The area of each of the trapezoids are

found and then summed to approximate the total area under the curve on an interval. The second
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formula line is the formula for when the heights or the intervals are of all equal length. Each base

besides the first ( b0 ) and last ( bn ) are counted twice as they form one of the bases of two

different trapezoids.

To illustrate the trapezoid rule further, an example is displayed in Figure 12 below. For

this example, the same function as used in the Riemann sum examples,

f (x) = (x − 3)4 + 2(x − 3)3 − 4(x − 3) + 5, on the interval from x=1 to x=5 with 4 subintervals

was used. This means that there are four trapezoids formed, each with a Δx value, or height, of 1

unit, as the trapezoids are from x=1 to x=2, x=2 to x=3, x=3 to x=4, and x=4 to x=5. The bases

of each trapezoid are equal to the f (x) values the subinterval is created on. The area

approximation calculation is seen in Figure 13 below.

Figure 12. Trapezoid Rule Graph

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The figure above displays using the trapezoid to approximate the area underneath a curve.

There are four subintervals, and thus four trapezoids are used. Each trapezoid has a height of 1

unit, the Δx value. The first trapezoid is bound by x=1 to x=2, with the bases being equal to the

value of b0 = f (1) and b1 = f (2) . The second trapezoid is bound by x=2 to x=3, with the bases

equal to the value of b1 = f (2) and b2 = f (3) . The third trapezoid is bound by x=3 to x=4, with

the bases equal to the value of b2 = f (3) and b3 = f (4) . The fourth trapezoid is bound by x=4 to

x=5, with the bases equal to the value b3 = f (4) and b4 = f (5) . This method will overestimate the

area underneath the curve as the majority of the graph is concave down, thus the straight lines of

the trapezoids are above the curve and account for the area that is above the curve. If the function

was concave up, the trapezoid rule will underestimate the area.

T n = 12 (b0 + b1 + b1 + b2 + b2 + b3 + ... bn−1 + bn ) * Δx

T 4 = 12 ((b0 + b1 ) + (b1 + b2 ) + (b2 + b3 ) + (b3 + b4 )) * Δx

T 4 = 12 ((f (1) + f (2)) + (f (2) + f (3)) + (f (3) + f (4)) + (f (4) + f (5))) * Δx

T 4 = 12 ((13 + 8) + (8 + 5) + (5 + 4) + (4 + 29)) * 1

T 4 = 12 ((21) + (13) + (9) + (33)) * 1

T 4 = 12 ((21) + (13) + (9) + (33)) * 1

T 4 = 12 (76)

T 4 = 38 un2

Figure 13. Trapezoid Rule Calculation

Figure 13 above displays the calculation for the area approximation for the area

underneath the curve. The height of each rectangle is equal to 1 unit and the bases of each
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trapezoid are equal to f (x) values. The trapezoid rule approximates the area underneath the curve

from x=1 to x=5 to be 38 un2 .

The final method for approximating the area underneath a curve is Simpson’s rule. Just as

Riemann sum used rectangles, and the trapezoid rule used trapezoids, Simpson’s rule uses

parabolas to approximate the area under a curve. It requires that there is an even number of

subintervals with equal Δx values, or the width of an interval. Simpson’s rule uses parabolas

that are closely fitted to the curves of the graph and the area of each parabola is found and

summed to approximate the area underneath a curve on some interval from a to b. This is then

divided into an even number of subintervals with equal widths of Δx , this can be seen in the

formula in Figure 14. As with Riemann sums and the trapezoid rule, as Δx decreases as the

subintervals increase, the approximation will more closely approach the true area underneath the

curve, being more accurate. The function f (x) = (x − 3)4 + 2(x − 3)3 − 4(x − 3) + 5 was used in

Figure 15 to demonstrate an example of Simpson’s rule.

1
Area = 3
(Δx) * (y 0 + 4y 1 + 2y 2 + 4y 3 + 2y 4 + ... + 2y n−1 + y n )

Figure 14. Simpson’s Rule Equation

The above figure is the equation for Simpson’s rule method of approximating the area

underneath a curve.
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Figure 15. Simpson’s Rule Graph

The figure above displays the graphical representation for using Simpson’s rule to

approximate the area underneath the curve from x=1 to x=5 with four subintervals.
1
Area = 3
(Δx) * (y 0 + 4y 1 + 2y 2 + 4y 3 + y 4 )
1
Area = 3
(1) * (f (1) + 4(f (2)) + 2(f (3)) + 4(f (4)) + f (5))
1
Area = 3
(1) * (13 + 4(8) + 2(5) + 4(4) + 29)
1
Area = 3 * (100)

Area = 33.333 un2

Figure 16. Simpson’s Rule Calculation

The figure above is a calculation for the Simpson’s rule area approximation underneath

the curve in Figure 15 above.

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The three methods for approximating the area discussed above are all different

approaches for finding the integral. They are useful when the equation of a function is not given,

and the only thing one has to approximate the area underneath the curve is the graph of the

function, as all methods can be used if only given a graphical representation of the function.

Riemann sum, the trapezoid rule, and Simpson’s rule all take the concept of dividing the area

under a curve into separate pieces, finding the individual areas of those pieces and summing

them together to approximate the area underneath the curve. However, each approach divides the

graph into different types of pieces. Reimann sums divide the function on an interval into

rectangles with widths equal to Δx and heights equal to f (x) . The trapezoid rule divides the

function on the interval into trapezoids with heights equal to Δx and bases equal to f (x) values.

Lastly, Simpson’s rule divided the function on the interval into parabolas with widths equal to

Δx . For all three methods, as the number of rectangles, trapezoids, or parabolas increases, the

accuracy of the approximation increases. Simpson’s rule is the most accurate of the three

approaches as it uses parabolas to approximate the area and parabolas can more closely fit the

curves of a function than the straight lines of the rectangles or trapezoids.

To demonstrate each of the three approaches previously discussed, an example using the

function f (x) = (x − 3)4 + 2(x − 3)3 − 4(x − 3) + 5 was used, and the area under the curve was

approximated on the interval x=1 to x=5. Using the definite integral, the actual area underneath

the curve from x=1 to x=5 is 32.8 un2 . This means that Simpson’s rule was indeed the most

accurate approach for approximating the area underneath the curve, as it approximated it to be

33.333 un2 . This is due to Simpson’s rule using parabolas to approximate the area underneath

the curve as parabolas can more closely fit the curves of the function than the rectangles or
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trapezoids can. Left Riemann sums was the second most accurate as it approximated the area to

be 36 un2 but was less accurate than Simpson’s rule as only two subintervals were used

compared to the Simpson’s rule four subintervals, as the number of subintervals increases the

area approximation becomes more accurate. The trapezoid rule method overestimated the area as

three of the four subintervals overestimated the area on their subintervals. The upper Reimann

sum and the right Riemann sum also overestimated the area as their rectangles were largely

above the curve, accounting for more area. The lower Riemann sum and left Riemann sum both

underestimate the area as the rectangles formed by the subintervals are under the curve and do

not account for much of the area underneath the curve.

The integral form of the Mean Value Theorem, also known as the Average Value

theorem is another way that the area underneath a curve can be found. However, it is different

from the three previously discussed, as it is not an approximation as it finds the exact area

underneath a curve. The Average Value Theorem states that if a function is continuous on the

closed interval from a to be, then there is a height that exists so that when the height is multiplied

by the width of the interval the exact area underneath the curve is found, the formal equation to

find the average height is below in Figure 17. The Average Value Theorem sums all of the

heights in the interval from a to b which are then divided by the width of the interval to find the

average height.
b
∫ f (x) dx
H eight = y avg = a
b−a

Figure 17. The Average Value Theorem

The figure above is the equation for the Average Value Theorem which finds the average

height of the equation within the interval of a to b.

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To demonstrate the Average Value Theorem, the same function that was used previously,

f (x) = (x − 3)4 + 2(x − 3)3 − 4(x − 3) + 5 , with two subintervals will be used to find the area

underneath the curve on the interval x=1 to x=5. The first subinterval is from x=1 to x=3 and the

average height using the Average Value Theorem in figure 18 below. The second subinterval is

from x=3 to x=5 and the average height using the Average Value Theorem is found in figure 19

below.
b
∫ f (x) dx
H eight 1 = y avg = a
b−a

3
∫ f (x) = (x−3) 4 + 2(x−3) 3 + 4(x−3) +5 dx
H eight 1 = y avg = 1
3−1

16.4
H eight 1 = y avg = 2

H eight 1 = y avg = 8.2 un

Figure 18. Average Height of Rectangle One

The above figure shows the calculation to find the average height of the rectangle on the

interval x=1 to x=3 using the Average Value Theorem. This was found by integrating the

function f (x) from x=1 to x=3, and dividing by the width of the interval.
b
∫ f (x) dx
H eight 2 = y avg = a
b−a

5
∫ f (x) = (x−3) 4 + 2(x−3) 3 + 4(x−3) +5 dx
H eight 2 = y avg = 3
5−3

16.4
H eight 2 = y avg = 2

H eight 2 = y avg = 8.2 un

Figure 19. Average Height of Rectangle Two

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The figure above shows the utilization of the Average Value Theorem to find the average

height of the rectangle on the interval from x=3 to x=5. This was found by integrating the

function f (x) from x=3 to x=5 and dividing by the width of the interval.

The total area underneath the curve can then be found by adding the area of each of the

rectangles formed. The area of each rectangle is found by multiplying the width of the interval

by the average height found using the Average Value Theorem, see Figure 20 below. The

individual areas are then summed to find the total area underneath the curve, see Figure 21

below. The area that is overestimated by the rectangles is equal to the area that is underestimated

by the rectangles, thus canceling each other out to find the exact area under the curve, this can be

seen in Figure 22.

Area of Rectangle 1 & 2 = height * width

Area of Rectangle 1 & 2 = 8.2 * 2

Area of Rectangle 1 & 2 = 16.4 un2

Figure 20. Individual Area of Rectangles Calculation

Figure 20 displays how the individual areas of the two rectangles were calculated. The

area of a rectangle is equal to width multiplied by the height, which was 2 and 8.2 respectively.

Both rectangles had the same width and height, thus both have an area of 16.4 un2 .

T otal Area U nderneath the Curve = Area Rectangle 1 + Area Rectangle 2

T otal Area U nderneath the Curve = 16.4 + 16.4

T otal Area U nderneath the Curve = 32.8 un 2

Figure 21. Total Area Underneath the Curve

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The above figure shows the process of combining the individual areas of the rectangles to

find the total area under the curve. The total area under the curve was found to be 32.8 un 2 ,

5
which is the same area that the definite integral of ∫(x − 3)4 + 2(x − 3)3 + 4(x − 3) + 5dx found
1

to be.

Figure 22. Average Value Theorem Graphical Representation

The figure above shows the graphical representation of the Average Value Theorem of

the used example. The area of the two rectangles captures the exact area underneath the curve. It

demonstrates that the area that is overestimated by the rectangles is equal to the area that is

underestimated, thus canceling out to leave just the area underneath the curve.

Using Riemann Sum in Practical Application​:

The volume of a spherical hot air balloon expands as the air inside the balloon is

heated. The radius of the balloon, in feet, is modeled by a twice-differentiable function r of

time t, where t is measured in seconds. For 0<t<12, the graph is concave down. The table
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below gives selected values of the rate of change, r’(t), of the radius of the balloon over the

time interval 0≤t≤12. The radius of the balloon is 32 feet when t = 7. (The volume of a sphere

of radius r is given by V = 4/3 π r³.)

Table 1
Selected Values of the Rate of Change
t (seconds) 0 1 4 7 11 12

r’(t) (ft/sec) 5.7 4.0 2.0 1.4 0.5 0.4

The table above shows the given values for the rate of change of the radius after 0, 1, 4,

7, 11, and 12 seconds.

a)​ ​Estimate the radius of the balloon when t = 7.2 using the tangent line approximation at t =

7. Is your estimate greater than or less than the true value? Give a reason for your answer.

The radius of the balloon when t = 7.2 can be found by finding an equation using

point-slope form and the tangent line approximation at t = 7. It is given that r(7) = 32 and at t = 7

the slope is 1.4.

r − r1 = m(t − t1 )

r − 32 = 1.4(t − 7)

r = 1.4(t − 7) + 32

r = 1.4(7.2 − 7) + 32

r = 32.28 f t.

Figure 23. Radius of the Balloon Calculation

The figure above displays the calculation for finding the radius of the balloon when time

is at 7.2 seconds. The change in radius from t = 7 to t = 7.2 was added to the radius of the
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balloon at t = 7, 32 ft, to result in an estimated radius of 32.28 ft at t = 7.2. This is an

overestimation of the true value as the graph is concave down for 0<t<12.

b) Find the rate of change of the volume of the balloon with respect to time when t = 7.

Indicate the units of measure.

4
V = 3
πr3

dV dr
dt
= 4πr2 * dt

dV
dt
= 4π(32)2 * (1.4)

dV
dt
= 18, 015.1 f t 3 /sec

Figure 24. Rate of Change of Volume Calculation

The above figure shows how the rate of change of the volume of the balloon was

calculated. The derivative of the volume of a sphere was found first, then the known values of ‘r’

the radius at t = 7, which is 32, and ‘ dr

dt
’ the rate of change of the radius at t = 7, which is 1.4,

was substituted into the derivative of the volume.

c) Use a right Riemann sum with 5 subintervals indicated by the data in the table to
12 12
approximate ∫ ​r’(t)dt. Using correct units, explain the meaning of ​ ∫ ​r’(t)d in terms of the
0 0

radius of the balloon.

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R5 = r′(t1 )(Δt1 ) + r′(t4 )(Δt2 ) + r′(t7 )(Δt3 ) + r′(t11 )(Δt4 ) + r′(t12 )(Δt5 )

R5 = r′(1)(1 − 0) + r′(4)(4 − 1) + r′(7)(7 − 4) + r′(11)(11 − 7) + r′(12)(12 − 11)

R5 = (4.0)(1) + (2.0)(3) + (1.4)(3) + (0.5)(4) + (0.4)(1)

R5 = (4.0) + (6) + (4.2) + (2) + (0.4)

R5 = 16.6 f eet

Figure 25. Right Riemann Sum Approximation Calculation

The figure above shows how the right Riemann sum calculation for the approximation of
12
∫ r′(t)dt , which is how much the radius of the balloon changed over the time interval of x=0 to
0

x=12 seconds. There are five subintervals, thus five rectangles were created and the area of each

is equal to the rightmost r′(t) value in the subinterval, the height, multiplied by the Δt value, the

width. The area of each rectangle was then summed to approximate that the radius changes by

16.6 feet over the twelve-second interval.

12
d) Is your approximation in part c greater than or less than ∫ ​r’(t)dt? Give a reason.
0

12
The approximation in part c above underestimates the true value of ​ ∫ r′(t)dt , as the
0

graph of r′(t) is stated to be concave down on the interval from zero seconds to twelve seconds,

which means the change in radius is decreasing. As right Riemann sums take the rightmost r′(t)

value within the subinterval as the height of the rectangle, the rightmost value in a concave down

graph would be the lowest point on the graph in that subinterval, meaning the rectangle would

underestimate the area underneath the curve, see Figure 26 below.

 Hagan 23

Figure 26. Right Riemann Sum on a Concave Down Graph from “Left & Right Riemann Sums
(Article).” ​Khan Academy,​ Khan Academy

As seen in the figure above, the right Riemann sum will underestimate the area

underneath a curve on a concave down graph as the height of the rectangle is taken from the

right-most point in the subinterval, which on a concave down function, is the lowest point.

In life and in mathematics, there is no single right way to solve a problem, as proven

through solving for the integral, the area underneath a curve, using several different methods.

While each method differed in approach and accuracy, they all work to approximate the same

value. Riemann sums, trapezoid rule, and Simpson’s rule use the same concept of dividing the

area underneath a curve into different pieces on subintervals to approximate the area under the

curve. The Average Value Theorem finds the average height of a function on some subinterval to

be the height of a rectangle with a width equal to the length of the subinterval to find the exact

area underneath the curve. Having several methods allows mathematicians to examine the

definite integral in a myriad of different ways, and allows it to be solved for even if not given the

equation of the function, as Riemann sum, trapezoid rule, and Simpson’s can all be used if given
 Hagan 24

a graph of the function or a table of values, as proven in the practical application problem. The

integral is a key concept in calculus and solving it differently gives one a better understanding

and appreciation for finding the area underneath a curve.

 Hagan 25

Works Cited

Rahman, Sabeel K. “Graphing Calculator.” Desmos, www.desmos.com/calculator.