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MTH 111 – Average Rates of Change and the Difference Quotient

End goal (Don’t do problem 1 yet unless you like doing a lot of extra work):

1. Given f ( x ) 3 x 2 5 x 4 , find the Average rate

x1 x2
average rate of change between each of of change
the following values of x. No work needs -4 -1
to be shown
-2 1
0 3
2. Find the difference quotient of f ( x ) 1 4
2 5
6 9
-2.7 0.3
-1.5 1.5
1.46 4.46
3.5 6.5

3. Notice the for all of the x value pairs in the table above that they are all exactly 3 units
apart. Use h 3 , and simplify. This resulting expression will tell the average rate of
change between any two points on the function f ( x ) that are exactly 3 units apart.

Hint to finish problem 1: To find the average rate of change between two points, use the left
endpoint as “ x ” in the difference quotient.
4. Given f ( x ) 3 x 2 5 x 4 (the same Average rate
x1 x2
function from the previous page), find the of change
average rate of change between each of
-4 0
the following values of x (notice that all
of the points are the same distance -2 2
apart… this would be a great time to use 0 4
a difference quotient): 1 5
2 6
6 10
-2.7 1.3
-1.5 2.5
1.46 5.46
3.5 7.5

5. Given f ( x ) 3 x 2 5 x 4 (the same function from the previous page), what are two
x-values that are 5 units apart, and have an average rate of change between them of zero?