3.

1: Tangent Lines and Rates of

Change
Tangent Line Exploration
( )
y f x =
a
( )
f a
x
( )
f x
( )
y f x =
a
( )
f a
x
( )
f x
x a
( ) ( )
f x f a
As approaches , the slope of the secant line approaches the
slope of the tangent line at .
x a
a
(Th 3.1a): Slope of a Tangent Line
The slope of the tangent line to the graph of at is f ( ) ( )
, P a f a
( ) ( )
lim
x a
f x f a
x a

Example: Let and let be any real number.

( )
3
2 4 f x x = + a
a) Find the slope of the tangent line to the graph of at .
b) Find an equation of the tangent line at .
f x a =
( ) ( )
, P a f a
( ) ( )
3 3
2 4 2 4
lim
a
x a
x a
m
x a

+ +
=

3 3
2 2
lim
x a
x a
x a

( )
( )
2 2
2
lim
x a
x a x ax a
x a

+ +
=

( )
2 2
lim2
x a
x ax a

= + +
( )
( )
2 2
2 a a a a = + +
2
6a =
( )
1 1
y y m x x =
( )
( )
3 2
2 4 6 y a a x a + =
Tangent Line Exploration
( )
y f x =
a
( )
f a
a h +
( )
f a h +
h
( ) ( )
f a h f a +
As approaches , the slope of the secant line approaches the
slope of the tangent line at .
h 0
a
(Th 3.1): Slope of a Tangent Line
The slope of the tangent line to the graph of at is f ( ) ( )
, P a f a
( ) ( )
0
lim
h
f a h f a
h

+
Example: Let and let be any real number.
( )
3
2 4 f x x = + a
a) Find the slope of the tangent line to the graph of at .
b) Find an equation of the tangent line at .
f x a =
( ) ( )
, P a f a
( )
( )
( )
3
3
0
2 4 2 4
lim
a
h
a h a
m
h

+ + +
=
( )
3
3
0
2 2
lim
h
a h a
h

+
=
( )
3 2 2 3 3
0
2 3 3 2
lim
h
a a h ah h a
h

+ + +
=
2 2 3
0
6 6 2
lim
h
a h ah h
h

+ +
=
2 2
0
lim6 6 2
h
a ah h

= + +
2
6a =
( )
1 1
y y m x x =
( )
( )
3 2
2 4 6 y a a x a + =
d r t =
d
r
t
=
s
v
t
A
=
A
where represents position s
The average velocity of an object that travels a distance in
time is
(Def 3.2): Average Velocity
v d
t
d
v
t
=
P
o
s
i
t
i
o
n

s
Time
t
( )
y s t =
1
t
2
t
1
s
2
s
2 1
t t
2 1
s s
2 1
2 1
s s
m
t t

s
t
A
=
A
v =
P
o
s
i
t
i
o
n

s
Time
t
( )
y s t =
a
a h +
( )
s a
( )
s a h +
h
( ) ( )
s a h s a +
As approaches , the average velocity over
approaches the instantaneous velocity at time .
h 0
| |
, a a h +
(Def 3.3): Instantaneous Velocity
Suppose a particle moves on a line such that its position at time
is . The velocity of the particle at time is
( ) ( )
0
lim
a
h
s a h s a
v
h

+
=
a
t
( )
s t
a
v t a =
Example: A rock is thrown straight up in the air and its height is
modeled by the function . Find the velocity
a) at time
b) at time 3
c) the instant it hits the ground
Find its acceleration at time .
( )
2
16 20 4 s t t t = + +
t a =
a) ( ) ( )
0
lim
a
h
s a h s a
v
h

+
=
( ) ( )
2
2
0
16 20 4 16 20 4
lim
h
a h a h a a
h

(
(
+ + + + + +


=
( )
( )
2 2 2
0
16 32 16 20 20 4 16 20 4
lim
h
a ah h a h a a
h

(
(
+ + + + +


=
2
0
32 16 20
lim
h
ah h h
h

+
=
0
lim 32 16 20
h
a h

= + 32 20 a = +
32 20
a
v a = +
t a =
Example: A rock is thrown straight up in the air and its height is
modeled by the function . Find the velocity
a) at time
b) at time 3
c) the instant it hits the ground
Find its acceleration at time .
( )
2
16 20 4 s t t t = + +
t a =
b)
32 20
a
v a = +
32 20
a
v a = +
( ) ( )
3 32 3 20 v = + 76 =
3
76 v =
c)
2
16 20 4 0 t t + + =
( )
0 s t =
2
4 5 1 0 t t =
5 25 16
8
t
+
= 0.175, 1.425 ~
( ) ( )
1.425 32 1.425 20 v = +
25.612 =
1.425
25.612 v =
t a =
Example: A rock is thrown straight up in the air and its height is
modeled by the function . Find the velocity
a) at time
b) at time 3
c) the instant it hits the ground
Find its acceleration at time .
( )
2
16 20 4 s t t t = + +
t a =
32 20
a
v a = +
3
76 v =
1.425
25.612 v =
t a =
Acceleration at is the slope of the graph of the velocity at . t a = t a =
32 20
a
v a = +
( ) ( )
0
lim
a
h
v a h v a
a
h

+
=
( ) ( ) ( )
0
32 20 32 20
lim
h
a h a
h

+ + +
=
32 =
2
32 g ft s ~
2
9.8 g m s ~
(Def 3.4): Rate of Change
Let , where is defined on an open interval containing .
( )
y f x = f
a
(i) The average rate of change of with respect to on
the interval is
( )
y f x = x
| |
, a a h +
( ) ( )
f a h f a
y
h
+
=
(ii) The instantaneous rate of change of with respect
to at is
( )
y f x =
x a
( ) ( )
0
lim
a
h
f a h f a
y
h

+
=