Section 1.

2
The Concept of Average Rate of Change
The average rate of change of the function Q = f(t)
over an interval tells us how much Q changes, on
average, for each unit change in t within that interval.

Suppose we want to find the average rate of change
of a function Q = f(t) over the interval a t b.
On this interval, the change in t = At = b a.
At t = a, the value of Q = f(a), and at t = b, the value
of Q is f(b). Thus, the change in Q =AQ = f(b) f(a).
Using Function Notation, we have
Average Rate of Change of Q = f(t) over the interval a t b
=
a b
a f b f
t
Q
t in Change
Q in Change

=
A
A
=
) ( ) (


t
Q
(a , f(a) )
(b, f(b) )
a b
Rise = f(b) - f(a)
Run = b - a

Example: Let y = f(x) = 3x
2
+ 1. Find the average
rate of change of f(x) between x = 0 and x = 2.
Between x = 0 and x = 2, we have
Average of Change of f(x)
over the interval 0 x 2
=
x
x f
A
A ) (
=
0 2
) 0 ( ) 2 (

f f
=
2
) 1 ) 0 ( 3 ( ) 1 ) 2 ( 3 (
2 2
+ +
= 6.






Example: In 2005, you have 30 CDs in your
collection. In 2008, you have 120 CDs. Find the
average of change in your CD collections size
between 2005 and 2008.
Let Q = number of CDs, and t = time in years.
Then, Q = f(t).
Average rate of change of Q = f(t)
over the interval 2005 t 2008
= 30
3
30 120
2005 2008
) 2005 ( ) 2008 (
=

=
A
A f f
t
Q
.
This means that you have on average 30 more CDs per year
between 2005 and 2008.

Increasing and Decreasing Functions
If y = f(x) is an increasing function for x in the
interval a s x s b, then the values of y increases as x
increases in this interval. The graph of an increasing
function rises when read from left to right.
If y = f(x) is a decreasing function for x in the
interval a s x s b, then the values of y decreases as x
increases in this interval.The graph of a decreasing
function falls when read from left to right.
An increasing function has a positive average
rate of change.A decreasing function has a
negative average rate of change.
Example: On what interval(s) is f increasing?
Decreasing?

Moving from left to right, the
function f is increasing (the
graph rises) when
2 < x < 1.2 or 0.5 < x < 2.

Moving from left to right, the
function f is decreasing (the
graph falls) when
1.2 < x< 0.5.

When stating where a function is increasing or
decreasing, its important to give x-intervals not
y-intervals.
4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5
5
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
x
y
(-1.2, 2.1)
(0.5, -0.6)
Solutions to Selected Problems:
Example 1: page 15, exercise 1 (b).
Let Q = number of CDs, and t = time in years.
Average rate of change of Q = f(t) over the interval 2008 t 2012
= 20
4
120 40
2008 2012
) 2008 ( ) 2012 (
=

=
A
A f f
t
Q
.
That is, you have on average 20 fewer CDs per year
between 2008 and 2012.
Example 2: page 15, exercise 5.
Average rate of change of y over the interval 2.2 t 6.1
= . 513 . 0
9 . 3
9 . 2 9 . 4
2 . 2 1 . 6
) 2 . 2 ( ) 1 . 6 (
=

=
A
A f f
x
y

Example 3: page 15, exercise 6.
0 =
A
A
x
f
occurs when 0 = Af but . 0 = Ax So, we look for points
on the graph through which we can draw a horizontal line (a
line of zero slope). There are many such pairs of points.
For example, for the interval 4 x 48, 0 =
A
A
x
f
. In fact, there
are many such intervals. Some possible intervals are:0 x 4,
2.2 x 5.2.
Example 4: page 16, exercise 12.
(a) (i) After 2 hours, 60 miles had been traveled. After 5
hours, 150 miles had been traveled.
Thus, on the interval from t = 2 to t = 5, At = 5 2 = 3, and
AD = 150 60 = 90.
(b) For the interval from t = 2 to t = 5,
the average rate of change = 30
3
90
2 5
60 150
= =

=
A
A
t
D

This means that the average speed is 30 miles per hour.



Example 5: page 16, exercise 15.
(a) Between (2, 7) and (3 , 3),
the average rate of change = 2
5
10
) 2 ( 3
) 7 ( 3
= =


=
A
A
x
y

(b) The function is increasing over this interval since the
average rate of change is positive.
(c)



As the x-values increase, so
do the y-values. Thus this
function is increasing
everywhere.


Example 6: page 17, exercise 21.
(a) From the table, a 200-lb person consumes 5.4 calories
while walking. Since a half hour is 30 minutes, a half-hour
walk consumes 5.4 30 = 162 calories.







4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5
4
3
2
1
1
2
3
4
x
y
Example 7: page 17, exercise 23 (c).
(c) Between (x, f(x)) and (x + h, f(x + h)),
the average rate of change
=
x h x
x f h x f
x
y
+
+
=
A
A
) (
) ( ) (

h
x h x ) 1 3 ( ) 1 ) ( 3 (
2 2
+ + +
=


h
x h xh x 1 3 1 ) 2 ( 3
2 2 2
+ + +
=

h
x h xh x 1 3 1 3 6 3
2 2 2
+ + +
=

h
h xh
2
3 6 +
=

h
h x h ) 2 ( 3 +
=

= 3(2x + h).



Homework
Section 1.2
1, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24, 26.