SLOPE OF A CURVE

DEFINITION OF TERMS
TANGENT LINE
-a line that intersects the curve at only one point.

SECANT LINE
-a line that intersects the curve in two or more
distinct points.

SLOPE (m)

-the ratio of the change in vertical distance(rise)

to the change in horizontal distance (run)

-tangent of its angle of inclination

SLOPE (m)
-the ratio of the change in vertical distance(rise)
to the change in horizontal distance (run)

-tangent of its angle of inclination

y

P2

y2
y1

P1

rise

run
x1

x2

y2 y 1
rise
y
m = tan =
run = x = x2 x1

SLOPE OF A CURVE

-the slope of a curve is not constant

and must be determined for each
particular point of interest.
let the points P1 (x1,y1) and P2 (x 2,y2) be
any two points on the curve.
y y2 y1
= x2 x 1
msec =
x
y2

y1

P2

y =f(x)
P1
x1

Secant Line

Tangent Line
First derivative is the slope of the
xcurve at that point

x2

mtan =limmsec
x0

y lim y2 y1
= x0 x2 x1
=
lim
x0 x

SLOPE OF A CURVEy

y lim 2 y1
= x0 x2 x1
mtan =limmsec =
lim
x0
x0 x
Let mtan= f(x)= dy , x = x2 x1 ; x2 = x1 + x
dx
also y1 = f(x1) ; y2 = f(x2)

mtan= f(x)=dy

dx

lim
= f(x2) f(x1)
x 0
x

The slope of the curve y = f(x) at (x, f(x)) is equal to the

slope of its tangent line at (x,f(x)), and defined by
f(x +x)
dy
m= f(x)=
= f(x)
lim
x 0

dx

RATE OF CHANGE
DEFINITION
The average rate of change of y with
respect to x, as x changes from x1 to
x2, is the ratio of the change in
y1
output to the changeyin
2 input.
average rate of change =
x2 x 1

RATE
OF
CHANGE
DEFINITION
Consider a function y = f(x) and two inputs x1 & x2 .
The change in input or the change in x is x2 x1
The change in output or the change in y is y 2 y1
y
Q

y2 = f(x2)
y1 = f(x1) P

x1

x2

y2 y 1

=
x2 x 1

f(x2) f(x1)
x2 x 1

f(x2) f(x1)
Slope of the line from
P(x1 ,y1) to Q(x2 ,y2)
x

PQ is a secant line

RATE OF CHANGE

Find the average rate of change as x

changes from 1 to 5 in the function
f(x) = x2x
when
=3.1 f(1) = 2
when x = 5 f(5) = 250
y2 y 1

=
x2 x 1

f(x2) f(x1)
x2 x 1

250 2
51

= 62

RATE OF CHANGE

Find the average rate of change as x

changes from 2 to 3 in the function
f(x) = x2x
when
=+
2 5.
f(2) = 9
when x = 3 f(3) = 11
y2 y 1

=
x2 x 1

f(x2) f(x1)
x2 x 1

11 9
32

=2

 Remarks:
If the functional relationship between x and y is
given by y = f(x) and if x changes from the
value x1 to x2 , where x = x2 x1 and x2 = x1 +
x, then y changes from f(x 1) to f(x1 + x).
Change in y is denoted by y (when the change
in x is x) and defined by f(x1+ x) f(x1)

f(x1+ x) f(x1) y
=
x
x
let x1= x and h = x

from
f(x1+ x) f(x1) y
=
x
x
let x1= x and h = x
Difference Quotient
Definition: The average of change f with
respect to h is also called difference
quotient. It is given by the formula
f(x + h) f(x)
, where h 0
h

Find the difference quotient for f(x) =

x2 + 2 when x = 4 and h = 0.001.
f(x) = x2 + 2

(x + h)2 + 2
f(x + h)=
f(x + h)= x2 + 2xh + h2 + 2

f(x + h) f(x) x2 + 2xh + h2 + 2 (x2 + 2)

=
h
h
=

2xh + h2

h
= 2x + h
= 8.001

INSTANTANEOUS RATE OF CHANGE

The instantaneous rate of change for
a function f at x = x0 is
lim f(x0 + h) f(x0)provided this limit exists.
h0
h
Velocity

Suppose a car leaves the town at time t = 0 and

travels due north. Let s(t) represent the position
of the car(its distance from the town in km) at
time (t).
Assume that s(t) = t2 5t + 6

change in distance
Ave.Velocity =

change in time

bet. t1= 4 and t2 = 5

INSTANTANEOUS RATE OF CHANGE

change in distance
Ave.Velocity =

change in time
s(t) = t2 5t + 6t1= 4 ; t2 = 5
Ave.Velocity =s(5) s(4)
t2 t1

[(5)2 5(5) + 6] [(4)2 5(4) + 6]

Ave.Velocity =

Ave.Velocity = 4

54

s(t) = t2 5t + 6
The instantaneous velocity at t = 3

lim s(3 + h) s(3)

h0
h
2 5(3) + 6]
[(3)
2 5(3+h) +
[(3
+
h)
6]
lim
h0
h
[9 + 6h +h2 15 5h +
[96]
15 + 6]
lim
h0
h
lim h2 + h lim (h + 1)
h0
h0
h
lim s(3 + h) s(3)= 1
h0
h

 Velocity
If v(t) represents the velocity at time t
of an object moving in a straight line
with position s(t), then
, provided this limits exists.
v(t) =lims(t + h) s(t)
h0
h

 Example:
A toy rocket fired a straight up into the air
reaches a height of s(t) = 48t 5t 2 meters.
What is the rockets initial velocity (when t =
0)?

v(t) =lims(t + h) s(t)

h0

[48(t + h) 5(t + h)2][ 48t 5t2]

lim
v(t) =h0
h

lim
h0

[48t + 48h 5t2 10ht 5h2] [ 48t 5t2]

h2

lim 48h 10ht + 5h

h0
h
v(t) =lim (48 10t + 5h)
h0
v(0) =lim (48 10t)= 48 m/s
h0