Find the number a such that the line x = a divides the region bounded by the curves x = y^2 − 1 and the y-axis into 2 regions with equal area. Give your answer correct to 3 decimal places.

To find the number "a" such that the line x = a divides the region bounded by the curves x = y^2 - 1 and the y-axis into two regions with equal area, we can use integration.

First, let's determine the limits of integration by finding the intersection points between the two curves. Set x = y^2 - 1 equal to 0 to find the x-coordinate where the curves intersect:

y^2 - 1 = 0
y^2 = 1
y = ±1

So the curves intersect at y = 1 and y = -1.

Next, we integrate the curves to find the areas using the definite integral. The area above the x-axis is given by:

A1 = ∫[a, 1] (y^2 - 1) dy

And the area below the x-axis is given by:

A2 = ∫[-1, a] -(y^2 - 1) dy

Since we want the line x = a to divide the region into two equal areas, we can set A1 equal to A2 and solve for "a".

∫[a, 1] (y^2 - 1) dy = ∫[-1, a] -(y^2 - 1) dy

Now we integrate each side separately.

∫[a, 1] (y^2 - 1) dy = y^3/3 - y |_a^1 = 1/3 - (a^3/3 - a)

∫[-1, a] -(y^2 - 1) dy = -y^3/3 + y |_a^-1 = -(a^3/3 - a) - (-1/3 + 1/3)

Now we set the two areas equal:

1/3 - (a^3/3 - a) = -(a^3/3 - a) - (-1/3 + 1/3)

Simplifying the equation gives:

1/3 - a^3/3 + a = a^3/3 - a + 2/3

Combining like terms:

2/3 = 2a^3/3

Multiplying both sides by 3/2 gives:

1 = a^3

Taking the cube root of both sides:

a = 1

So the number "a" that divides the region into two equal areas is 1.

To find the number a such that the line x = a divides the region bounded by the curves x = y^2 - 1 and the y-axis into 2 regions with equal area, we need to set up an integral to calculate the area of the region.

Let's first find the limits of integration. The curve x = y^2 - 1 intersects the y-axis when x = 0, so we set y^2 - 1 = 0 and solve for y:

y^2 - 1 = 0
y^2 = 1
y = ±1

Since we are only considering the positive region of the curve, the lower limit of integration is y = 0 and the upper limit is y = 1.

Next, we set up the integral for the area of the region between the curves:

A = ∫[0, a] (y^2 - 1) dy

Now, we need to find the total area of the region between the curves:

Total Area = ∫[0, 1] (y^2 - 1) dy

We can calculate this integral using the power rule:

Total Area = [1/3 * y^3 - y] [0, 1]
Total Area = (1/3 * 1^3 - 1) - (1/3 * 0^3 - 0)
Total Area = (1/3 - 1) - (0 - 0)
Total Area = 1/3 - 1

Since we want the line to divide the region into two equal areas, the area of each half would be equal to (1/2) * Total Area.

Now, we set up the equation:

(1/2) * Total Area = ∫[0, a] (y^2 - 1) dy

We can solve this equation for a by substituting Total Area with the value we obtained earlier:

(1/2) * (1/3 - 1) = ∫[0, a] (y^2 - 1) dy

(1/6 - 1/2) = ∫[0, a] (y^2 - 1) dy

-1/3 = [(1/3 * y^3 - y)] [0, a]

Substituting the upper limit of integration:

-1/3 = [(1/3 * a^3 - a)] - [(1/3 * 0^3 - 0)]
-1/3 = (1/3 * a^3 - a) - 0
-1/3 = 1/3 * a^3 - a

Now, we can solve the equation for a:

1/3 * a^3 - a + 1/3 = 0

To find the value of a, we can use numerical methods such as the Newton-Raphson method or trial-and-error.

parabola with vertex at x =-1 and y = 0 then proceeding right above and below the x axis

passing through (0,1) and (0,-1)

∫ left of x = 0 = ∫ right of x = 0
because of symmetry we only need to do + y

y = +/-sqrt (x+1) = +/-(x+1)^.5

∫ y dx from -1 to 0
= ∫y dx from 0 to a

∫ y dx = ∫(x+1)^.5 dx
= (x+1)^1.5 / 1.5

at x = -1 that is 0
at x = 0 that is 1/1.5 = 2/3
so
we need to select upper limit of x = a to get the same area from 0 to a
at x = a
∫ is (a+1)^1.5/1.5
at x = 0 we know it is 2/3

(a+1)^1.5 / (3/2) - 2/3 = 2/3

(a+1)^1.5 / (3/2) = 4/3
(a+1)^1.5 = 2
1.5 log (a+1) = .301
log (a+1) = .2
a+1 = 1.584
a = .584