Real world example for derivatives

[guitarrc6]

hey guys, i failed calc last year and got a bad grade in physics. But i still want to learn about both. My question is about deratives. I have yet to find a real world example and how to apply the formulas to it. I've hurd that the curvature (dunno if that's a word) of on/off freeway ramps use deratives, and that the tides use deratives. Does anyone have an example of how you can apply the derative formulas to any real world thing, and explain how you got your answer? Any comments would be appericiated.

thanks, brian

 

[Chen]

Sure.

Your acceleration is a derivative of your velocity - it the rate of change of your velocity.
Your velocity is a derivative of your displacement - it the rate of change of your displacement.

Those are probably the two simplest examples.