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
<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)…
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ANSWER:
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