Find the area of the region bounded by the two parabolas $y = x^2$ and $y^2 = x$.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → $\frac{1}{3}$
The point of intersection of these two parabolas are $O(0, 0)$ and $A(1, 1)$ as shown in the Fig.
Here, we can set $y^2 = x$ or $y = \sqrt{x} = f(x)$ and $y = x^2 = g(x)$, where, $f(x) \geq g(x)$ in $[0, 1]$.
Therefore, the required area of the shaded region
$= \int\limits_{0}^{1} [f(x) - g(x)] dx$
$= \int\limits_{0}^{1} [\sqrt{x} - x^2] dx = \left[ \frac{2}{3}x^{\frac{3}{2}} - \frac{x^3}{3} \right]_{0}^{1}$
$= \frac{2}{3} - \frac{1}{3} = \frac{1}{3}$