Determining the Rate of Change

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 98 views

Introduction

In mathematics, the rate of change of a linear function is a fundamental concept that helps us understand how the function behaves as the input variable changes. A linear function is a function that can be written in the form y = mx + b, where m is the slope or rate of change, and b is the y-intercept. In this article, we will discuss how to determine the rate of change of a linear function from a table of values.

What is a Table of Values?

A table of values is a way to represent a function by listing the input values (x) and the corresponding output values (y). It is a useful tool for visualizing the behavior of a function and for making calculations easier. In the context of this article, we will be working with a table of values that represents a linear function.

The Table of Values

x	y
2.6	-6
3.2	3

Determining the Rate of Change

To determine the rate of change of a linear function from a table of values, we need to calculate the slope (m) of the function. The slope is a measure of how much the output value (y) changes when the input value (x) changes by one unit. In other words, it measures the rate at which the function changes as the input variable changes.

Calculating the Slope

To calculate the slope, we need to choose two points from the table of values and use the formula:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1)

where (x1, y1) and (x2, y2) are the two points we have chosen.

Choosing the Points

Let's choose the two points (2.6, -6) and (3.2, 3) from the table of values. These points are the only two points we have in the table, so we will use them to calculate the slope.

Calculating the Slope

Now that we have chosen the points, we can calculate the slope using the formula:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1) = (3 - (-6)) / (3.2 - 2.6) = (3 + 6) / (3.2 - 2.6) = 9 / 0.6 = 15

Conclusion

In this article, we have discussed how to determine the rate of change of a linear function from a table of values. We have seen that the rate of change is represented by the slope (m) of the function, and we have learned how to calculate the slope using the formula m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1). We have also seen how to choose two points from the table of values and use them to calculate the slope.

Example Problems

Problem 1

Determine the rate of change of the linear function given by the table of values:

x	y
1.8	-4
2.4	2

Solution

To determine the rate of change, we need to calculate the slope (m) of the function. We can choose the two points (1.8, -4) and (2.4, 2) from the table of values and use the formula:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1) = (2 - (-4)) / (2.4 - 1.8) = (2 + 4) / (2.4 - 1.8) = 6 / 0.6 = 10

Problem 2

Determine the rate of change of the linear function given by the table of values:

x	y
4.2	8
5.8	12

Solution

To determine the rate of change, we need to calculate the slope (m) of the function. We can choose the two points (4.2, 8) and (5.8, 12) from the table of values and use the formula:

m = (y2 - y1) / (x2 - x1) = (12 - 8) / (5.8 - 4.2) = (12 - 8) / (5.8 - 4.2) = 4 / 1.6 = 2.5