Calculus AB

Calculus AB covers the fundamental concepts of differential and integral calculus, preparing students for advanced mathematical applications.

Basic Concepts

Integrals and Antiderivatives

Adding Up Tiny Pieces

Integrals let us add up lots of tiny pieces to find totals—like finding the area under a curve or the distance traveled.

What is an Integral?

An integral finds the accumulation of quantities, like total distance from speed over time. It's the "opposite" of a derivative.

Antiderivatives

An antiderivative is any function whose derivative is the given function. If \( F'(x) = f(x) \), then \( F(x) \) is an antiderivative of \( f(x) \).

The Fundamental Theorem of Calculus

This theorem connects derivatives and integrals, showing they're two sides of the same coin!

How to Integrate

  • Use rules: like the power rule for integrals.
  • Add a constant \( C \) for indefinite integrals.

Everyday Integrals

Calculating the amount of rain that falls over a day or the fuel used on a road trip uses integration!

Examples

  • The integral of \( x \) from 0 to 2 is 2.

  • The antiderivative of \( 2x \) is \( x^2 + C \).

In a Nutshell

Integrals add up small changes to find totals, like areas or distances.