3. The attempt at a solution
I seem to have the wrong mindset while doing these.
I got 0.
Actually, I dont really know exactly what I'm even going for here.
Dick
Aug29-08, 04:04 PM
It's not zero. It's a function of x. Why don't you show us what you did? Just substitute the given f(x) into the difference quotient.
leftyguitarjo
Aug29-08, 04:18 PM
My main thing is that I dont know what the outcome should look like.
It was during the last few weeks of my senior year of high school so I didnt exactly make it to class every day and I missed this stuff. Its coming back to bite me in college now.
Dick
Aug29-08, 04:51 PM
I told you, just substitute the form for f(x) into the difference quotient and try and do some algebra to simplify it. What is f(5)? This isn't a big conceptual problem.
sutupidmath
Aug29-08, 04:54 PM
1. The problem statement, all variables and given/known data
http://www.webassign.net/www14/symImages/5/8/30f1e141e81c6a3333af41547f8ff2.gif
Evaluate the difference quotient for the given function
3. The attempt at a solution
I seem to have the wrong mindset while doing these.
I got 0.
Actually, I dont really know exactly what I'm even going for here.
Later on you will see that the slope of the tangent line at a point say P(a,f(a)), is given by:
\lim_{x\rightarrow a}\frac{f(x)-f(a)}{x-a}=f'(a)
And only the quotient \frac{f(x)-f(a)}{x-a} is the slope of secat line.
So, you are given a function f(x) and then asked to find the quotient.
\frac{f(x)-f(5)}{x-5} so what u want to do is replace f(x) with what you are given, in other words, write the function f(x)=... whatever it equals, and then for f(5), you first want to evalulate f(5)=...whatever it equals. You evaluate f(5) by plugging 5 in
f(x)=\frac{x+7}{x+5}
HallsofIvy
Aug29-08, 05:27 PM
My main thing is that I dont know what the outcome should look like.
It was during the last few weeks of my senior year of high school so I didnt exactly make it to class every day and I missed this stuff. Its coming back to bite me in college now.
Dick said "Why don't you show us what you did? " Why will you not do that?