Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
In calculus, 'rate' refers to how something changes over time or with respect to another variable. It quantifies how much one quantity changes relative to another quantity.
Measures how much a quantity changes on average over an interval by dividing the total change in that quantity by the length of time or distance covered during that interval.
Instantaneous Velocity: Describes an object's velocity (rate of change in position) at an exact moment in time rather than an average over an interval.
Indicates how rapidly a population, investment, or other variable increases over time. It is a measure of the percentage change in the quantity over a specific period of time.