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.