Table of Contents

Understanding Differentiation

Introduction

This article assumes that you are familiar with straight line graphs, the idea that a line has a gradient and that a gradient represents a rate of change. You also need to understand how use algebra and how to manipulate algebraic equations. If you are happy then read on…

Zooming In On A Curve

The diagram below shows the graph of the function Graph

<insert diagram here>

We are asked the question: how do we find the slope, otherwise known as the rate of change, of the graph at a particular value of ?

Exercises

Find the derivative (the gradient function) of the following (the first one has been done for you)…

1) Graph

ANSWER: Graph

2) Graph
3) Graph
4) Graph
5) Graph
6) Graph
7) Graph
8) Graph
9) Graph
10) Graph