Evaluate Definite Integral Calculus 101: 3x^2 + 4x - 5 from 1 to 2

Published on April 21, 2026

Calculus

Solve the definite integral of 3x^2 + 4x - 5 with respect to x from 1 to 2 using the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

Question

Answer

The problem asks us to evaluate the definite integral:
To evaluate this definite integral, we first find the antiderivative of the integrand .
Using the power rule for integration, which states that (where ), we can find the antiderivative of each term:
The antiderivative of is .
The antiderivative of is .
The antiderivative of is .
So, the antiderivative of is .
Now, we use the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus to evaluate the definite integral. The theorem states that , where is the antiderivative of .
In this case, and .
We need to calculate .
First, evaluate :




Next, evaluate :




Finally, subtract from :

.
The final answer is .