1.

2 Rates of Change
Practice Set 1

Problems 1 − 4, Find the average rate of change for each of the following graphs over the given
interval.

1. [−2, 0] 2. [2, 6]

3. [0, 2] 4. [−2, 2]

Problems 5 − 8, Find the average rate of change of the function over the given interval.

5. 𝑓𝑓 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 3 − 8𝑥𝑥 on [1, 6] 𝑥𝑥 2
6. 𝑔𝑔 𝑥𝑥 = 5 − on [1, 4]
4

7. ℎ 𝑥𝑥 = 𝑥𝑥 2 − 2 on −4 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ −1 8. 𝑠𝑠 𝑡𝑡 = 𝑡𝑡 + 3 2 − 4 on −3 ≤ 𝑡𝑡 ≤ 5

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 Problems 9 – 12, Use the table of values to find the average rate of change over the given interval.

𝒙𝒙 1 2.4 3.7 6 9.8 12

𝒚𝒚 −4 −1.8 2.9 8.2 13.1 25.4

9. [1, 6] 10. [6, 12]

11. [2.4, 9.8] 12. [3.7, 9.8]

Problem 13, Use the graph of the function 𝑦𝑦 = ℎ(𝑥𝑥) to complete the table by finding the average
rate of change at the values. Hint: Choose a second point that creates a secant line to
calculate the slope passing through your given x-value.

13. Complete the table below using the graph 𝑦𝑦 = ℎ(𝑥𝑥), shown below. Draw a secant line and show
your work that supports your answer.

(𝒙𝒙𝟏𝟏 , 𝒚𝒚𝟏𝟏 )
𝒙𝒙 Rate of change of 𝒉𝒉(𝒙𝒙)
(𝒙𝒙𝟐𝟐 , 𝒚𝒚𝟐𝟐 )

−4

−2.25

1.5

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 1.2 Rates of Change
Practice Set 2

Problems 14 – 20, answer each question.

14. Compute the average rate of change from A to B, from B to C,

and from A to C. Which one gives the largest average rate of
change?

15. Compute the average rate of change from A to B, from B to C,

and from A to C. Which one gives the smallest average rate of
change?

16. What is the average rate of change of 𝑔𝑔(𝑥𝑥) over the interval
−7 ≤ 𝑥𝑥 ≤ −2.

17. Suppose a customer purchases C catnip treats based on the sale price p, where
𝐶𝐶 𝑝𝑝 = 18 − 𝑝𝑝2 + 𝑝𝑝, for 1 ≤ 𝑝𝑝 ≤ 4. Find the average rate of change in demand when the
price increases from $3 per treat to $4 per treat. What does this tell you about the price?

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18. Suppose 24 powderpost beetles are left inside a wood barn undisturbed. The beetle population
doubles in size every week. The equation 𝑃𝑃 𝑥𝑥 = 24(2𝑥𝑥 ) can be used to determine the number of
beetles after x weeks. Calculate the average growth rate for the beetle population for the first five
weeks [0, 5].

19. Suppose the total cost in dollars to produce 𝑥𝑥 widgets is given by the function
𝐶𝐶 𝑥𝑥 = 0.0002𝑥𝑥 3 + 0.09𝑥𝑥 2 + 12𝑥𝑥 + 1500.
A. Find the average rate of change of the total cost when the number of widgets produced
increases from 100 to 300 items.

B. Find the average rate of change of the total cost when the number of widgets produced
increases from 200 to 500 items.

20. Suppose an object is launched upward with an initial velocity of 48 feet per second from a height
of 80 feet. The height of the object t seconds after it is launched is given by the function
ℎ 𝑡𝑡 = −16𝑡𝑡 2 + 48𝑡𝑡 + 80.
A. Find the average velocity in the first two seconds after the object is launched.

B. Find the average velocity from 𝑡𝑡 = 2 to 𝑡𝑡 = 4 seconds.

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Problem 21 - 22, Use the tables below to answer the questions.

21. The table gives the velocity of a skydiver t seconds into a free fall.

Time in
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
seconds
Velocity in
0 142 167 173 173.8 175 175
feet/second

A. Find the average rate of change of velocity for each ten second interval.

B. During which interval was the average rate of change the highest?

C. Use the average rate of change from 10 seconds to 20 seconds to find an approximation of
the skydiver’s velocity 15 seconds into the freefall.

22. The table gives the population of Eulerville on planet Newton since 1980.

Year 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020

Population
12.3 15.2 18.0 21.7 25.2
(in millions)

A. Find the average rate of change for each decade.

B. During which decade was the average rate of change the largest?

C. Use the average rate of change during the decade from 2010 to 2020 to approximate the
population of Eulerville in 2018.

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 Problems 23 – 26, The temperature of a bowl of French Onion Soup as it is cooling in a bowl is
given by the function 𝐹𝐹(𝑡𝑡), measured in degrees Celsius and time, t, is
measured in minutes. Use the information in the table to complete the
following.

𝑡𝑡, minutes 0 2 5 7 10

𝐹𝐹 𝑡𝑡 , in degrees Celsius 76 73 67 63 58

23. How fast is the soup cooling, on average, over the ten-minute interval? Show your set-up
and work. Include units.

24. Estimate the rate at which the temperature of the soup is changing at 𝑡𝑡 = 5.5 minutes. Explain
your approach to your answer.

25. When is the bowl of soup cooling the fastest? How do you know?

26. Using the average rate of cooling, estimate when the temperature of the soup will reach 54℃.

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 Free Response Question

Consider the car ride represented by the graph

shown at right.

Distance,
in miles

Time, in minutes

A. What is the average rate of travel over the first 20 minutes. (Be sure to change minutes
into hours.)

B. How fast is the car going between 𝑡𝑡 = 20 and 𝑡𝑡 = 30 min? Explain.

C. What is the speed of the car at 50 minutes?

D. What is the average rate of travel for the first 60 minutes?

E. Why is the segment between 𝑡𝑡 = 80 and 𝑡𝑡 = 120 negative? Explain what this segment of
the trip represents.

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