Lecture Notes by Dr.

Abdul Rauf Nizami

Subject: Calculus and Analytic Geometry

Lect: The Average and Instantaneous rate of change

Instructor: M. Zeeshan

Spring 2020
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Average Rate of Change. The average rate of change of y = f (x) with respect
to x over the interval [x0 , x1 ] is defined as
f (x1 ) − f (x0 )
rave = .
x1 − x0
Example 1. Find the average rate of change of y = x2 + 1 over the interval
[3, 5] and interpret it.

Solution.
Step 1. (Average Rate)
Since x0 = 3 and x1 = 5, we get f (x0 ) = f (3) = (3)2 + 1 = 10 and f (x1 ) =
f (5) = (5)2 + 1 = 26.
f (x1 ) − f (x0 ) 26 − 10 16
rave = = = =8
x1 − x0 5−3 2
Step 2. (Interpretation) Here y increases averagely 8 units per one unit in-
crease in x over the interval [3, 5].
————————-Solution Ends——————————–

Example 2. Find the average rate of change of y = −x3 + 2 over the interval
[−2, 1] and interpret it.

Solution.
Step 1. (Average Rate)
Since x0 = −2 and x1 = 1, we get f (x0 ) = f (−2) = −(−2)3 + 2 = 10 and
f (x1 ) = f (1) = −(1)3 + 2 = 1.
f (x1 ) − f (x0 ) 1 − 10 −9
rave = = = = −3
x1 − x0 1 − (−2) 3
Step 2. (Interpretation) Here y decreases averagely 3 units per one unit in-
crease in x over the interval [−2, 1].
————————-Solution Ends——————————–

Example 3. Find the average rate of change of y = 3 − 2x2 over the interval
[−3, 1] and interpret it.

Solution.
Step 1. (Average Rate)
Since x0 = −3 and x1 = 1, we get f (x0 ) = f (−3) = 3 − 2(−2)2 = 1 and
f (x1 ) = f (1) = 3 − 2(1)2 = −15.
f (x1 ) − f (x0 ) 1 − (−15) 16
rave = = = =4
x1 − x0 1 − (−3) 4
Step 2. (Interpretation) y increases averagely 4 units per one unit increase in
x over the interval [−3, 1].
————————-Solution Ends——————————–
 Average and Instantaneous Rates 3

Instantaneous Rate of Change. The instantaneous rate of change of y = f (x)

with respect to x at x0 is defined as

f (x1 ) − f (x0 )
rinst = lim ,
x1 →x0 x1 − x0

where x1 is a point close to x0 .

Equivalently, if we take x1 = x0 + h, the above equation becomes

f (x0 + h) − f (x0 )
rinst = lim .
h→0 h

Example 4. Find the instantaneous rate of change of y = x2 + 1 with respect

to x at the point x = −4 and interpret it.

Solution.
Step 1. (Instantaneous Rate)
Since x0 = −4, we get f (x0 ) = f (−4) = (−4)2 +1 = 17 and f (x1 ) = (x1 )2 +1.

f (x1 ) − f (x0 )
rinst = lim
x1 →x0 x1 − x0
(x21 + 1) − 17
= lim
x1 →−4 x1 − (−4)

x2 − 16
= lim 1
x1 →−4 x1 + 4
(x1 − 4)(x1 + 4)
= lim = lim x1 − 4 = −4 − 4 = −8
x1 →−4 x1 + 4 x1 →−4

Step 2. (Interpretation) y decreases instantaneously 8 units per one unit in-

crease in x at x = −4.

————————-Solution Ends——————————–

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Example 5. Find the instantaneous rate of change of y = x2 with respect to
x at the point x = −2 and interpret it.

Solution.
Step 1. (Instantaneous Rate)
4 Average and Instantaneous Rates

1 1 1
Since x0 = −2, we get f (x0 ) = f (−2) = (−2)2 = 4 and f (x0 + h) = (−2+h)2 .

f (x0 + h) − f (x0 )
rinst = lim
h→0 h
1 1
(−2+h) 2 − 4
= lim
h→0 h
1h 1 1i
= lim 2
−
h→0 h (−2 + h) 4
2i
1 4 − (−2 + h)
h
= lim
h→0 h 4(−2 + h)2
1 h 4 − (4 − 4h + h2 ) i
= lim
h→0 h 4(4 − 4h + h2 )
1 h 4 − 4 + 4h − h2 ) i 1 h h(4 − h) i
= lim = lim
h→0 h 4(4 − 4h + h2 ) h→0 h 4(4 − 4h + h2 )
h 4−h i 4−0 1
= lim = =
h→0 4(4 − 4h + h2 ) 4(4 − 4(0) + (0)2 ) 4
Step 2. (Interpretation) y increases instantaneously 1 units per 4 units in-
crease in x at x = −2.

Equivalently, y increases instantaneously 0.25 units per 1 unit increase in x

at x = −2.

————————-Solution Ends——————————–
Practice Problems
1. Find the average rate of change of y = −3x2 + 2 with respect to x over
the interval [1, 5] and interpret it.
√
2. Find the average rate of change of y = x with respect to x over the
interval [1, 4] and interpret the result.

3. Find the instantaneous rate of change of y = −3x2 + 2 with respect to

x at the point x = 3 and interpret it.

4. Find the instantaneous rate of change of y = ex with respect to x at

the point x = 2 and interpret it.

1
5. Find the instantaneous rate of change of y = x2 with respect to x at
the point x = −2 and interpret it.

——————————————————–
(I shall welcome your suggestions to improve these notes.)