Tangent Lines and Velocity

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Taught by MrRutter
  • Currently 3.0/5 Stars.
3313 views | 4 ratings
Meets NCTM Standards:
Lesson Summary:

In this lesson, you will learn about tangent lines to curves and how to estimate their slope. A tangent line is a line that touches the graph in one point and is going in the same direction as the graph at that point. By estimating the slope of the tangent line, you can learn how to find the equation of the tangent line. You will learn the point-slope formula and the slope-intercept form to find the equation of a tangent line.

Lesson Description:

Learn about tangent lines to curves and how to estimate their slope.

Additional Resources:
  • Moving Man Applet - A java applet where you can move a man and see a graph of his position, velocity, and acceleration over time.
Questions answered by this video:
  • What is a derivative?
  • What is a tangent line and how do you find its slope?
  • How do you estimate the slope of a tangent line to a curve by using two points?
  • If you have the function f(x) = x^2 - 3x, how do you find the slope at a = 2 or x = 2?
  • How do you find the slope of a curve at a particular point?
  • Staff Review

    • Currently 3.0/5 Stars.
    This lesson is an introduction to lines tangent to a curve at certain points. By finding the slope of these tangent lines, you are getting the idea of derivatives and instantaneous change for a curve. This is a good lesson leading up to derivatives.
  • SeanD

    • Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
    I was having difficulty with my homework until I saw this video. I had reviewed many other calculus sites, but this was the only one that helped me.
  • Lpower

    • Currently 1.0/5 Stars.
    he did not explain where the numbers came from and he is a poor public speaker