Rate of Change

Front

What is the rate of change?

Back

The rate of change is a measure of how much a quantity changes in relation to another quantity. It is often expressed as a ratio or a slope.

Front

How do you calculate the rate of change from a graph?

Back

To calculate the rate of change from a graph, find the change in the vertical axis (y-axis) divided by the change in the horizontal axis (x-axis). This is often referred to as the slope.

Front

What does a negative rate of change indicate?

Back

A negative rate of change indicates that as one quantity increases, the other quantity decreases.

Front

What does a positive rate of change indicate?

Back

A positive rate of change indicates that as one quantity increases, the other quantity also increases.

Front

What is the formula for rate of change?

Back

Rate of Change = (Change in y) / (Change in x) or (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1).

Front

If a car travels 60 miles in 1 hour, what is the rate of change?

Back

The rate of change is 60 miles per hour.

Front

What is a constant rate of change?

Back

A constant rate of change means that the quantity changes at a steady rate, resulting in a straight line when graphed.

Front

What is a non-linear rate of change?

Back

A non-linear rate of change means that the quantity changes at varying rates, resulting in a curve when graphed.

Front

If the rate of change is 2 gallons per minute, how much will be used in 5 minutes?

Back

10 gallons (2 gallons/minute * 5 minutes = 10 gallons).

Front

What is the rate of change if a quantity increases from 10 to 50 over 5 units of time?

Back

The rate of change is 8 units per time ( (50 - 10) / 5 = 8 ).