The Derivative Using First Principles.notebook
March 01, 2013
The Derivative
­ one of the main concepts in calculus
­ is defined as a limit
­ occurs frequently in mathematics and science calculations
It is used to determine the slopes of tangent lines and instantaneous velocities.
Mar 1­1:40 PM
The derivative of a function f of a number a is (spoken as "f prime of a")
This is called taking the derivative using first principles!!!
Mar 1­1:42 PM
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The Derivative Using First Principles.notebook
March 01, 2013
ex) If f(x) = 2x2 ­ 5x +6 find f(4) which is the derivative of f at 4. Mar 1­1:43 PM
ex) Find the derivative of f(x) = x2 ­ 3x at any number a. Then use the derivative to find the slopes of the tangent lines when x = 1, 2, 3, 4
Mar 1­1:46 PM
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The Derivative Using First Principles.notebook
March 01, 2013
Given a function, f, the derivative, f ', is defined by
Assignment: Mar 1­1:47 PM
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