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CALCULUS ON THE WALL

2. Derivative Helping students learn … and teachers teach
Definition
(sample)

Created by:
Stu Schwartz
Un-narrated Version

Edited by:
Jake Weinberg

Graphics:
Apple Grapher: Version 2.3
Math Type: Version 6.7
Intaglio: 2.9.5a
Fathom: Version 2.11
 Secant Lines and Tangent Lines
msecant

Q As Q travels
along the curve
f(x), from either
the left side or
the right side,
the secant line
Q msecant also changes and
thus the slope m
P of the secant
lines also
change.

(click on graph to start movie)

So as Q gets closer to P (from either the left or right side), the slope
of the secant line gets closer to the slope of the tangent line at point
P. www.mastermathmentor.com
 Moving the Secant Line

As x approaches
1 from the right
side, the secant
line between
x 2 x 1.5 x 1.1 P(1, 1) and x
changes.
f(x) 4 f(x) 2.25 f(x) 1.21 Slopesecant = Rise
Rise 3 Rise 1.25 Rise 0.21 Run
The slope is
Run 1 Run 0.5 Run 0.1 getting smaller.

msec 3 msec 2.5 msec 2.1

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 The Tangent Line
Given the function, f(x) = x2 — 3x — 4 and values of x
between —4 and 6, we see the tangent line and the value
of the derivative f’(x) at those values.
mtan = f’(x)

(click on graph to start movie)

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 A Non-Differentiable Function
Show that the function f(x) = |x — 3| is not differentiable at x = 3.

Since the left-hand limit and right-hand limit are not equal, f is not
differentiable at x = 3 and the graph of f does not have a tangent line at
x = 3. Locations on curves that are sharp points are called cusp points.
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Content: Derivative Definition
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Topics cover:
• Limits • Derivative Definition • Differentiation
• Motion • Related Rates • Function Analysis
• Optimization • Antiderivatives • Riemann Sums
• Definite Integrals • Area/Motion Revisited • Volume
• Inverses/Transcendentals • Differential Equations
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