CONTENT STANDARDS: Derivatives

● The Derivative as the Slope of the Tangent Line

● Continuity and Differentiability and Rules of Differentiation
● Optimization, Higher – Order Derivatives, and Chain Rule

Lesson 1: The Derivative as the Slope of the Tangent Line

Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, the learners are expected to:
● illustrate the tangent line to the graph of a function at a given point;
● define the properties of a tangent line to the graph of a function at a given point;
● apply the definition of the derivative of a function at a given point;
● relate the derivative of a function to the slope of the tangent line; and
● solve word problems involving the derivative of a function.

One of the famous novels by our national hero Jose P. Rizal is the 1887 “Noli Me Tangere” written
during Spanish colonization. Do you know what it means? Tangere is a Latin word that means “to
touch.” This is also where the term “tangent” was derived. The term tangent was first found in the
writings of Danish mathematician, Thomas Fincke, in 1583 in the book Geomietria Rotundi (Online
Etymology Dictionary, n.d.)
In addition to these, the slope of the tangent line to a curve plays an important role in finding the
derivative of a function. At the same time, knowledge about the limits and equations of the lines is
necessary to identify the slope of a tangent line.
Have you tried riding a
rollercoaster or our local
version of a caterpillar? The
track of the caterpillar or
roller coaster can be an
example of a curve. While
riding the caterpillar the line
of sight made by the
passenger looking straight
ahead and sitting erect can
represent a tangent line.

The definition of a tangent line is not that easy to

explain without involving limits. Imagine looking at
the curve, like an arc of a circle, to visualize the
tangent line at a given point.
A line is tangent to a circle if it intersects the circle at exactly one point (Deauna and Lamayo,
1999). See the illustration below.

What if the given curve is not a circle? How will we draw the lines tangent to it?
Properties of Tangent Lines

Note: By definition, a line is determined by two points. How are we going to do that if a tangent
touches a graph at exactly one point? This is where the concept of a secant line is important. We
can say that the accurate definition of a tangent line depends on the concept of a secant line.
To find the tangent line at Point P, there is a need for a second point Q on the curve.

If a Point Q will slide down to point P, it will get closer to point P and the slope of secant PQ will
then approach the value of the slope of line l tangent to the curve at point P.
This is where the slope of a tangent line is derived. As the difference in the distance in x gets
smaller, the slope of the secant line gets closer and closer to the slope of the tangent line. Thus,
the definition of the slope of a tangent line is shown below.

Example 1: Find the slope of the tangent line to the curve 𝑦 = 𝑥2 at 𝑥 = 2. Write the equation of the
tangent line at the given point.
Solution:
● To write the equation of the line, we may use the
point-slope form of the line
● To find the value of 𝑦1, substitute the value of 𝑥1 to the
function
● Substitute the values to the point-slope form of the line
NOTE: The limit definition of the derivative is inherently indeterminate that is, .
0

Hence, we can use these usual techniques for evaluating limits which are indeterminate of types:
0

factoring, rationalization, or some special limits.

Example
Compute 𝑓′(1) for each of the following functions.

a. b. c.
𝑓(1) = 5(1) + 3 = 5 + 3 = 8

Key Notes:
● Rationalizing the numerator means multiplying the complex fraction by its conjugate. (For
binomials, this can be obtained by changing the sign of the second term.)
● The derivative of a function given a point (x) is equal to the slope of a tangent line.

Example 2
Let 𝑓(𝑥) = 2𝑥 + 3𝑥 − 1.
Use the definition
of the derivative to
find 𝑓′(−1).
The concept of the slope of the tangent line can be used to solve real-life problems. There are lots
of things that occur in nature that depend on other factors, especially time. These are some
examples:
1. The distance covered by a vehicle moving at constant speed depends on the time traveled.
2. The temperature of heated water depends on the heating time.
3. The cost and profit of producing calculators depend on the time allotted to the production.
Two Types of Rate of Change
1. average rate of change
2. instantaneous rate of change.
On the other hand, for a given increment (change) in time, the average rate of change of 𝑓(𝑥) in
the interval [𝑡1,𝑡2] is defined as:

How are average and instantaneous rates of change important in real life?
Space exploration is a big thing nowadays in search of probable solutions to our planet’s
problems. It is not a simple experiment that may be done over and over again because it will cost
not only a large amount of money but also a risk to the lives of the crew. The average rate of
change in the velocity of the spacecraft needs to be calculated to see if it will be able to escape
Earth’s gravitational pull to make the mission successful. Also, the instantaneous rate of change
needs to be computed to check if the materials of the rocket as well as the crew will cope with the
stress of the acceleration.
Example
A Sepak Takraw player kicked a ball at a certain height. Its height (in inches) from the ground at
any time 𝑡 (in seconds) is given by 𝑠(𝑡) = 30 + 20𝑡 − 10𝑡 .2
Find:
a. the height at which the ball was kicked
b. the time when the ball hits the ground
c. the average velocity of the ball on the interval [1, 2]
d. the instantaneous velocity at 𝑡 = 1 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡 = 2
e. the instantaneous velocity at any time 𝑡0.
Solutions:
a. The height of the ball from the2ground before it was2 kicked is denoted by 𝑡 = 0.
Thus, 𝑠(𝑡) = 30 + 20𝑡 − 10𝑡 = 30 + 20(0) − 10(0) = 30
Therefore, the height of the ball from the ground before it was kicked is 30 inches.
b. The ball is on the ground when the height s of the ball from the ground is 0. Thus,
Prepared by:
Arnold D. Bernal, LPT, MEd