2.8 The Derivative as the Slope of a Tangent

Limits of the form below occur whenever we calculate a rate of change. Because they are so useful, they have a special name The derivative of a function f at a number a, denoted by is: if this limit exists Another useful form of the derivative occurs if we write x = a + h, then h = x – a, and h approaches zero as x approaches a

Find the derivative of the function at the number a

Read 2.8 p Work p. 163 #3, 13, 19, 20, 23, 28