Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Definite Integral
The definite integral of a function over an interval gives the net area between the function's graph and the x-axis. In this context, to find the area function A(x), we need to compute the definite integral of f(t) from 0 to x. This process involves evaluating the integral based on the piecewise definition of the function f(t) provided.
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Definition of the Definite Integral
Piecewise Functions
A piecewise function is defined by different expressions based on the input value. In this case, f(t) has two distinct expressions: one for t ≤ 3 and another for t > 3. Understanding how to handle piecewise functions is crucial for correctly calculating the area A(x) since the formula will change depending on whether x is less than, equal to, or greater than 3.
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Area Under a Curve
The area under a curve represents the accumulation of values of a function over a specified interval. For the function f(t), the area A(x) can be interpreted as the total area from the t-axis to the curve from t=0 to t=x. This concept is fundamental in calculus, as it connects geometric interpretations with integral calculus, allowing us to quantify the area based on the function's behavior.
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