Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

First Name:___________________ Last Name: _________________ Student ID: ________

Rates of Change

Slopes of Secants and Average Rate of Change (ARC)

Secant Line Ex. 1
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Consider 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥+1. Find the equation of the secant line
that passes through the points 𝐴(0, 2) and 𝐵(−3, −1).

Let 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) be a function and 𝑃(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 )

and 𝑄(𝑥1 , 𝑦2 ) be two points on its graph.

The slope of the secant line is given by:

Average Rate of Change Ex. 2

Consider 𝑦 = 𝑓 (𝑥) = (𝑥 + 1)2 . Find the average rate of
The average rate of change in 𝑦-variable is change in the 𝑦 variable over the interval 𝑥 ∈ [−1, 2].
defined on some interval of 𝑥-variable [𝑥1 , 𝑥2 ].
It is the same as the slope of the secant line
passing through the points 𝑃(𝑥1 , 𝑦1 ) and
𝑄(𝑥2 , 𝑦2 ).

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Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

Average Velocity Ex. 3

When 𝑦 = 𝑠(𝑡) represents the position
function, where 𝑠 is position of an object
from a starting point and 𝑡 is the time since
the beginning.
A rock is launched vertically upward from a platform. The
position of the rock 𝑠 (in meters) is given by
𝑠(𝑡) = 100𝑡 − 10𝑡 2 . Find the average velocity over the time
interval [1, 2].

The Average Velocity over the time interval

[𝑡1 , 𝑡2 ] is given by:

Moving from secant to tangent…

The Average Rate of Change of 𝑦 for 𝑥 ∈ [𝑎, 𝑎 + ℎ] is given by the slope of secant line 𝑃𝑄:

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Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

Slopes of Tangents and Instantaneous Rate of Change (IRC)

Tangent Line
As the point 𝑄 approaches the point 𝑃, the secant line approaches the tangent line at 𝑃

(𝑃 is called _____________________________). Th slope of the tangent (or sometimes called the slope
of curve) at 𝑃 is approximated by:

The algebraic way of computing exactly the slope of tangent (and therefore the instantaneous rate of
change) at some point, we need to understand what a limit is.

The limit of a function 𝑓(𝑥) at 𝑥 = 𝑏 is written as:

The algebraic way of computing slope of tangent (Instantaneous Rate of Change) of 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) at point
𝑃(𝑎, 𝑓(𝑎)) is given by:

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Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

Ex. 4: Find the slope of the tangent line to the graph of 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 – 3𝑥 at the point 𝑃(1, −2).

Ex. 5: a) Find the equation of the tangent line to the graph of 𝑓(𝑥) = √𝑥 − 2 at 𝑥 = 6.

b) Graph the curve of 𝑓(𝑥) and the tangent line.

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Ex. 6: a) Find the instantaneous rate of change of 𝑦 at 𝑥 = −3 for the graph of 𝑔(𝑥) = .
𝑥+5

b) Graph the curve of 𝑔(𝑥) and the tangent line.

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Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

Ex. 7: Consider the following position function:

𝑠(𝑡) = 𝑡 2 – 4𝑡, where 𝑠 is the position of an object from the starting point in meters and 𝑡 is the time
in seconds.

a) Find the instantaneous velocity at 𝑡 = 3 𝑠.

b) Find the instantaneous velocity at the generic moment 𝑡 = 𝑎 𝑠.

c) Use the formula at part b) to compute the velocity at time 𝑡 = 5 𝑠.

d) Find the moment(s) of time at which the velocity is 0 𝑚/𝑠.

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Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

How can we estimate the Instantaneous Rate of Change?

Ex. 8:
The population of a small town appears to be growing exponentially. Town planners think that the
function 𝑃(𝑡) = 35000(1.05)𝑡 , where 𝑃(𝑡) is the number of people in the town and t is the number of
years since 2000, models the size of the population. Estimate the instantaneous rate of change in the
population in 2015.

Using a preceding interval in which 14≤ 𝑡 ≤ 15, Preceding Interval

an interval of the independent
variable of the form 𝑎 − ℎ ≤
𝑥 ≤ 𝑎, where ℎ is a small
positive value

Using a following interval in which 15≤ 𝑡 ≤ 16, Following Interval

an interval of the independent
variable of the form 𝑎 ≤ 𝑥 ≤
𝑎 + ℎ, where ℎ is a small
positive value

Using a following interval in which 14≤ 𝑡 ≤ 16, Centred Interval

an interval of the independent
variable of the form 𝑎 − ℎ ≤
𝑥 ≤ 𝑎 + ℎ, where ℎ is a small
positive value

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Advanced Function Class 14 Handout

Practice:

Find equation of the slope of tangent of each function at 𝑥 = 𝑎.

a) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 − 2𝑥 + 6, 𝑥 = 3

b) 𝑔(𝑥) = √−3𝑥 + 1, 𝑥 = −1

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c) 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑥 2 +1 , 𝑥 = 2