Unit V Big Question

The difference quotient is used to find derivatives. A derivative is the slope of a line that is tangent to a graph. A derivative is written as f '(x). The difference quotient finds the slope of a secant line. A secant line crosses through two points on a graph. The tangent line only touches the graph once. With the difference quotient we can find the derivative and the slope of the tangent line at a specific point by simply plugging in an x-value after we find the derivative. We can also find the equation of the tangent line by using the ordered pair we are given. First we find the derivative and plug in the x-value, then we use y=mx+b and use the ordered pair to solve. There are many things we can find with the derivative.

Sources:
http://www.coolmath.com/precalculus-review-calculus-intro/precalculus-algebra/24-the-difference-quotient-01.htm