Welcome back to AP Calculus with Fiveable! After covering Limits and Continuity in Unit 1, we are now diving into Unit 2: Differentiation - Definition and Basic Derivative Rules. Our focus in this section is to understand the concepts of average and instantaneous rates of change at a point. Let’s get into it!
Formula to calculate a slope by taking 2 points.
For any two points on a continuous function f(x) within the interval [a, b], the average rate of change can be expressed as:
This is also the slope of the secant line between any two points.
Step 2: Apply the formula for an average rate of change.
Average Rate of Change:
Step 3: Substitute the values and solve.
Average Rate of Change:
Consider the function f(x) = x2. Find the instantaneous rate of change at x = 2.
Step 1: Identify the function and the point.
Step 2: Apply the formula for the instantaneous rate of change.
Instantaneous Rate of Change:
Step 3: Substitute the values and solve.
Instantaneous Rate of Change:
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1. What is the average rate of change in a function? | ![]() |
2. How do you calculate the instantaneous rate of change at a specific point? | ![]() |
3. What is the difference between average rate of change and instantaneous rate of change? | ![]() |
4. Can the average rate of change be negative? | ![]() |
5. Why is understanding rates of change important in calculus? | ![]() |