Derivatives and Tangent Lines 1

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Taught by YourMathGal
  • Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
2703 views | 1 rating
Part of video series
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Lesson Summary:

In this introduction to derivatives and tangent lines, the concept of a tangent line to a point on a curve is explored, as well as the slopes of those tangent lines and the derivative. The video uses the slope of the second line to approximate the slope of the tangent lines and introduces the concept of limits. The goal is to understand what it means for a line to be tangent to a curve at a certain point and how to find the slope of the tangent line. The video uses the graph of y = x^2 - 3 as an example and shows how to approximate the slope of the tangent line using the secant line.

Lesson Description:

An introduction to derivatives and tangent lines to curves.

More free YouTube videos by Julie Harland are organized at http://yourmathgal.com

Questions answered by this video:
  • What is a derivative?
  • What is a tangent line to a point on a continuous smooth curve?
  • How do you find the slope of a tangent line to a point on a curve?
  • How can you approximate the slope of a tangent line with limits and the slope of secant lines?
  • Where can I find an introduction to derivatives?
  • How can you estimate a tangent line to a curve at a point and sketch the line?
  • When does a tangent line not exist for a curve at a point?
  • What is the tangent line and its slope of f(x) = x^2 - 3 at (0, -3)?
  • How do you find the slope of the tangent line of f(x) = x^2 - 3 at (1, -2)?
  • What is a secant line?
  • How do you find the slope of a secant line between two points on a curve?
  • Staff Review

    • Currently 4.0/5 Stars.
    This introduction to tangent lines and their slopes is a wonderfully understandable explanation. This video does not get into definitions yet, but it is just a way of understanding what is going on with slopes of tangent lines to curves. This is a great place to start for any Calculus student.