Mathematics Ma Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Power Rule
25 Oct 2017
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Document Summary
We expanded on the idea of creating tangent lines to express the instantaneous rate of change for a function at a given point. To evaluate this, we find the limit of the function f(x+h)-f(x) divided by f(x) as h approaches 0. H represents the distance between the two points, so it makes sense that we want the line to be as close to the function as possible. This is one way to find the slope, or rate of change of the function, also known as the derivative. Today we expanded on this by taking a preview of the power rule, a way to find derivatives more quickly. For the power rule, you multiply the exponent by the coefficient in front of the number, and decrease the exponent by 1. This lesson returned from using functions and interpreting them graphically. It then went on to include derivatives and understanding them in the context of real-life situations.
