5.10.4 Average Rate of Change
5.10.4 • Average Rate of Change
Cool Down
Here is the function for Clare’s moldy bread that you saw earlier.
| , time since mold spotting (days) | , area covered by mold (square millimeters) |
|---|---|
| 0 | 1 |
| 1 | 2 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 8 |
| 4 | 16 |
| 5 | 32 |
| 6 | 64 |
What is the average rate of change for the mold over the 6 days?
Compare your answer:
10.5 square millimeters per day:
How well does the average rate of change describe how the mold changes for these 6 days?
Compare your answer:
The average rate of change does not accurately describe how the mold changes over the 6-day period. The first day it only grows by 1 square millimeter, while on the fifth day it grows by 32 square millimeters.
How could the average rate of change be more accurate?
Compare your answer:
The domain used to find the average rate of change could be smaller. The average rate of change of different intervals could be compared.