Chapter 1: Problem 32
Let \(f(x)=x^{2}-4\) \(g(x)=x^{3},\) and \(F(x)=1 /(x-3) .\) Simplify or evaluate the following expressions. $$\frac{f(2+h)-f(2)}{h}$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
Answer: The simplified expression is \(4 + h\).
Step by step solution
01
- Evaluate f(2+h) and f(2)
Given the function \(f(x) = x^2 - 4\), we can calculate \(f(2+h)\) and \(f(2)\) as follows:
$$
f(2+h) = (2+h)^2 - 4\\
f(2) = 2^2 - 4
$$
02
- Calculate f(2+h) - f(2)
Next, we find the difference between \(f(2+h)\) and \(f(2)\):
$$
f(2+h) - f(2) = [(2+h)^2 - 4] - [2^2 - 4]
$$
03
- Simplify the expression
Simplify the expression we found in step 2:
$$
[(2+h)^2 - 4] - [2^2 - 4] = (2^2 + 4h + h^2 - 4) - (4 - 4) = 4 + 4h + h^2 - 4 = 4h + h^2
$$
04
- Calculate the whole fraction expression
Now that we have found the simplified expression for \(f(2+h) - f(2)\), we can divide it by \(h\) as required:
$$
\frac{f(2+h) - f(2)}{h} =\frac{4h + h^2}{h}
$$
05
- Simplify the final expression
Finally, we can simplify the expression further by factoring out the common term \(h\):
$$
\frac{4h + h^2}{h} = h(4 + h) \div h = 4 + h
$$
So the expression is simplified to \(4 + h\).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Derivative
A derivative represents the rate at which a function is changing at any given point. It's a cornerstone concept in calculus that helps us understand how one variable changes in relation to another. Let's unpack what it actually means and how it uses the Difference Quotient.
- The derivative of a function at a specific point is defined as the limit of the difference quotient as the change in the input approaches zero.
- In calculus notation, the derivative of a function \( f \) at a point \( x \) is \( f'(x) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} \frac{{f(x + h) - f(x)}}{h} \).
- This essentially captures the slope of the tangent line to the function \( f \) at the point \( x \).
Limit Definition
The limit is a fundamental concept that forms the backbone of calculus. It deals with analyzing the behavior of a function as its input approaches a specific value.
- The limit of a function \( f(x) \) as \( x \) approaches some value \( a \) is the value that \( f(x) \) gets closer to as \( x \) gets closer to \( a \).
- In the limit definition of the derivative, we use this concept to understand how small changes in the input affect the output or slope.
- For example, in the expression \( \frac{{f(2+h) - f(2)}}{h} \), the limit is applied as \( h \to 0 \) to find the derivative of \( f(x) \) at \( x=2 \).
Function Evaluation
Function evaluation is the process of finding the output of a function for a specific input. This is an essential skill in mathematics as it lets us understand how functions behave and allows for practical application.
- For any given function, say \( f(x) = x^2 - 4 \), evaluating \( f \) at \( x = 2 \) means substituting 2 into the function to find \( f(2) \).
- In the context of the difference quotient, evaluation is done twice: once with \( x = 2 \) and once with \( x = 2+h \).
- For example, \( f(2+h) = (2+h)^2 - 4 \) gives us an expression in terms of \( h \) to work with further.