An integral is a fundamental concept in calculus that helps us find the area under a curve. Imagine you have a graph of a function, and you want to know how much space is between the curve and the x-axis over a certain interval. The integral allows you to calculate this area, giving you valuable information about the function's behavior. There are two main types of integrals: definite integrals and indefinite integrals. A definite integral provides a specific numerical value for the area between the curve and the x-axis over a given range, while an indefinite integral represents a family of functions and includes a constant of integration. Both types are essential for solving various problems in mathematics and science.