Definite Integral of an Absolute Value Function

[Hilariousity]

Hi Everybody,
I'm having problems finding the area between the x-axis and the function |2x-3| on the domain (-1,2). So what I have been trying to do is integrate |2x-3| to get 2x^2/2-3x. Then plug in 2-(-1)=3 into the equation to obtain 0. This is incorrect. The answers that are written in the back of the book tell me that the answer should be 13/2. What am I doing wrong?

[nona.m.nona]

I'm having problems finding the area between the x-axis and the function |2x-3| on the domain (-1,2). So what I have been trying to do is integrate |2x-3| to get 2x^2/2-3x.

Look at the graph of f(x) = |2x - 3|. It is not the same as the graph of g(x) = 2x - 3, so the integral, naturally, should not be the same.

Instead, split the absolute-valued function into two standard linear functions, one on the left-hand portion of the interval, where the original graph is decreasing, and the other on the right-hand portion of the interval, where the original graph is increasing.

Do the two integrations over the two intervals. Sum to find the value of the integral of the original function.