Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 8 Application of Integrals | Boundless Maths
Unit III · Calculus · Chapter 8 Application of Integrals — Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions

Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 8: Application of Integrals

Free, step-by-step NCERT Solutions for both parts of this short but high-value chapter — the single exercise, 8.1, and the Miscellaneous Exercise. You'll use the definite integral from Chapter 7 to actually measure something: the area trapped between a curve and the x-axis, the area of a circle or an ellipse worked out from scratch rather than quoted from geometry, and the area under a curve that dips below the axis and needs its pieces added up carefully. Every solution here is worked the way CBSE awards marks, with the key formulas and the mistakes that cost students marks every year laid out right on this page.

2Exercises (incl. Misc.)
9Total Questions
2026-27CBSE Syllabus
100%Solved

Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 8 — Overview

This Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 8 hub covers Application of Integrals — the chapter that finally puts the definite integral from Chapter 7 to visible, geometric use. Elementary geometry gives you formulas for the area of a triangle, a rectangle, a circle, but it has nothing to say about the area trapped between an arbitrary curve and the x-axis. This chapter closes that gap: it slices the region into a huge number of thin strips, adds up their areas as a limit, and shows that the sum is exactly a definite integral, \int_a^b y\,dx.

The chapter is deliberately compact — there is only one numbered exercise, Exercise 8.1, which applies the idea directly to circles and ellipses in their standard form, followed by a Miscellaneous Exercise that mixes in straight lines, polynomial curves, and trigonometric curves like sin x and cos x, where the curve crosses the axis more than once. The one recurring subtlety worth mastering early is that a definite integral can come out negative when the curve dips below the x-axis, while area itself never can — so the whole chapter really comes down to slicing correctly and handling that sign carefully.

How the Chapter Builds

One Idea Leads to the Next

1

Area Under a Curve — The Basics

Slicing a region into thin vertical strips (∫ydx) or horizontal strips (∫xdy) turns area into a definite integral. §8.2.

2

Handling Negative Area

When the curve dips below the x-axis, the integral goes negative — take the absolute value, and add up each piece separately. §8.2 Remark.

3

Circles & Ellipses

Using symmetry and the standard √(a²−x²) integral to derive πa² and πab from scratch. Exercise 8.1.

4

Lines & Trigonometric Curves

Splitting a region at the points where the curve crosses the axis, for lines, polynomials, and curves like sin x and cos x. Miscellaneous Exercise.

Quick Reference

Important Formulas — Chapter 8

Everything you need before you start solving. This is a summary for quick recall — the Formula Cards below has the full printable version for all of Calculus.

Area Under a Curve — Basics (§8.2)

Vertical strips — area under y = f(x)

A = \int_a^b y\,dx = \int_a^b f(x)\,dx

The area bounded by the curve, the x-axis, and the ordinates x = a and x = b (b > a).

Horizontal strips — area under x = g(y)

A = \int_c^d x\,dy = \int_c^d g(y)\,dy

Useful whenever the curve is more naturally described as x in terms of y.

Negative area & mixed regions

\left|\int_a^b f(x)\,dx\right|,\qquad A = |A_1| + A_2

Take the absolute value of any portion below the x-axis before adding it to a portion above.

Standard Areas — Circle & Ellipse (§8.2, Ex 8.1)

Circle x² + y² = a²

A = 4\int_0^a \sqrt{a^2-x^2}\,dx = \pi a^2

Use symmetry about both axes — find the area in one quadrant and multiply by 4.

Ellipse x²/a² + y²/b² = 1

A = 4\int_0^a \tfrac{b}{a}\sqrt{a^2-x^2}\,dx = \pi ab

Same symmetry trick as the circle, scaled by b/a — check which axis a and b belong to first.

The one integral behind both

\int \sqrt{a^2-x^2}\,dx = \tfrac{x}{2}\sqrt{a^2-x^2} + \tfrac{a^2}{2}\sin^{-1}\tfrac{x}{a} + C

Nearly every area calculation in this chapter reduces to evaluating this one standard result at its limits.

Avoid These

Common Mistakes to Avoid in This Chapter

Drawn from where students actually lose marks across both parts of this chapter.

  • Forgetting to take the absolute value below the x-axis. The integral over a portion where f(x) < 0 comes out negative — area itself is never negative, so that piece needs its absolute value taken before it's added to the total.
  • Not splitting the integral where the curve crosses the axis. Integrating straight through a region that's partly above and partly below the x-axis lets the positive and negative parts cancel — always split at the crossing point(s) first, exactly as done for y = sin x over [0, 2π].
  • Choosing the wrong strip direction. Forcing a dx integral onto a curve that's naturally given as x = g(y) makes the algebra much harder — switch to horizontal strips (∫x dy) when that's how the boundary is described.
  • Sign errors when locating where a line meets the x-axis. For a line like y = 3x + 2, an arithmetic slip while solving 3x + 2 = 0 shifts the whole split point and throws off both pieces of the area.
  • Forgetting the symmetry multiplier. Computing the area of one quadrant of a circle or ellipse and forgetting to multiply by 4 is one of the most common one-step errors in this chapter.
  • Misremembering the √(a² − x²) integral or its limits. Double-check the standard result and substitute the limits carefully — a sign slip in the inverse sine term is easy to miss.
  • Mixing up a and b in the ellipse equation. a is not always the x-semi-axis — read off a² and b² directly from the denominators under x² and y² in the given equation.
  • Skipping the sketch. Without a rough graph of the region, it's easy to set up the wrong limits or integrate the wrong boundary — a quick sketch is often the fastest way to avoid a wrong answer here.
Solve Chapter-Wise

Class 12 Maths NCERT Solutions Chapter 8 — Choose an Exercise

8.1

Exercise 8.1

Area under simple curves, applied to the standard ellipse and circle · 4 questions

Solve Exercise 8.1 →
M

Miscellaneous Exercise

Area under lines, polynomial curves, and trigonometric curves like sin x, including regions that cross the x-axis · 5 questions

Solve Miscellaneous →

📐 Keep the Formulas Handy

Every formula for Calculus — integrals, application of integrals — in one printable PDF.

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Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about Chapter 8, Application of Integrals.

How many exercises are there in Chapter 8, Application of Integrals?
This chapter has just one numbered exercise, 8.1, with 4 questions on the areas of circles and ellipses, plus a Miscellaneous Exercise with 5 questions on lines, polynomial curves and trigonometric curves — 9 questions in total.
Is this chapter important for the board exam?
Yes — it's a short chapter but a reliable source of marks. A 3 or 5-mark question asking for the area bounded by a curve, a line, or a standard conic is common nearly every year, and it also shows up as an assertion-reason or case-study question.
How do you find the area when part of the curve is below the x-axis?
The definite integral over that portion comes out negative, since f(x) < 0 there, but area itself is always positive. You take the absolute value of that piece and add it to the area of any portion above the axis, rather than letting the negative and positive parts cancel each other in one combined integral.
What's the difference between using vertical strips and horizontal strips?
Vertical strips of width dx give the area as ∫y dx, treating y as a function of x — natural when the curve is given as y = f(x). Horizontal strips of width dy give the area as ∫x dy, treating x as a function of y — natural when the curve is given as x = g(y), or when integrating with respect to x would be awkward.
What should I revise before starting this chapter?
You need definite integrals and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus from Chapter 7, Integrals, along with the standard integral of √(a² − x²), since nearly every area calculation in this chapter reduces to that one result.
Where can I find the official NCERT textbook for this chapter?
Application of Integrals is Chapter 8 of the NCERT Class 12 Mathematics textbook (Part II), published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and prescribed by CBSE. You can download the official textbook PDF directly from ncert.nic.in, NCERT's official website — the solutions on this page follow the exercises exactly as they appear there.
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