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🤓AP Calculus AB/BC Unit 2 Vocabulary

58 essential vocabulary terms and definitions for Unit 2 – Fundamentals of Differentiation

Study Unit 2
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🤓Unit 2 – Fundamentals of Differentiation
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🤓Unit 2 – Fundamentals of Differentiation

2.10 Finding the Derivatives of Tangent, Cotangent, Secant, and/or Cosecant Functions

TermDefinition
cosecantA trigonometric function defined as the reciprocal of sine.
cotangentA trigonometric function defined as the ratio of cosine to sine.
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
derivative rulesFormulas and procedures used to calculate derivatives, such as the product rule and quotient rule.
differentiable functionFunctions that have a derivative at every point in their domain, meaning they are smooth and continuous without sharp corners or breaks.
identitiesEquations that are true for all values of the variables, used to rewrite trigonometric expressions.
productsThe result of multiplying two or more functions together.
quotientThe result of dividing one function by another.
secantA trigonometric function defined as the reciprocal of cosine.
tangentA trigonometric function defined as the ratio of sine to cosine.

2.1 Defining Average and Instantaneous Rates of Change at a Point

TermDefinition
average rate of changeThe change in the value of a function divided by the change in the input over an interval [a, b], calculated as (f(b) - f(a))/(b - a).
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
difference quotientThe expression [f(x+h) - f(x)]/h used to calculate the average rate of change and find the derivative as a limit.
instantaneous rate of changeThe rate at which a function is changing at a specific point, represented by the derivative at that point.
limitThe value that a function approaches as the input approaches some value, which may or may not equal the function's value at that point.

2.2 Defining the Derivative of a Function and Using Derivative Notation

TermDefinition
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
difference quotientThe expression [f(x+h) - f(x)]/h used to calculate the average rate of change and find the derivative as a limit.
dy/dxLeibniz notation for the derivative of y with respect to x.
f'(x)Lagrange notation for the derivative of function f at x.
limitThe value that a function approaches as the input approaches some value, which may or may not equal the function's value at that point.
slopeThe steepness or rate of change of a line, calculated as the change in y-values divided by the change in x-values.
tangent lineA line that touches a curve at a single point and has a slope equal to the derivative of the function at that point.

2.3 Estimating Derivatives of a Function at a Point

TermDefinition
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
estimateTo find an approximate value of a derivative using available information such as tables, graphs, or numerical methods.

2.4 Connecting Differentiability and Continuity

TermDefinition
continuityA property of a function at a point where the function is defined, the limit exists, and the limit equals the function value at that point.
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
difference quotientThe expression [f(x+h) - f(x)]/h used to calculate the average rate of change and find the derivative as a limit.
differentiabilityA property of a function at a point where the derivative exists; a function is differentiable at a point if the limit of the difference quotient exists at that point.
domainThe set of all input values (x-values) for which a function is defined.
left hand limitThe value that a function approaches as the input approaches a point from values less than that point.
right hand limitThe value that a function approaches as the input approaches a point from values greater than that point.
slopeThe steepness or rate of change of a line, calculated as the change in y-values divided by the change in x-values.
tangent lineA line that touches a curve at a single point and has a slope equal to the derivative of the function at that point.

2.5 Applying the Power Rule

TermDefinition
definition of the derivativeThe formal mathematical definition using limits: f'(x) = lim(h→0) [f(x+h) - f(x)]/h, which defines the derivative as the instantaneous rate of change.
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
power ruleA derivative rule stating that the derivative of x^n is n·x^(n-1), where n is a constant.

2.6 Derivative Rules

TermDefinition
constant multiple ruleA derivative rule stating that the derivative of a constant times a function equals the constant times the derivative of the function.
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
difference ruleA derivative rule stating that the derivative of a difference of functions equals the difference of their individual derivatives.
polynomial functionA function composed of terms with non-negative integer exponents and real coefficients.
power ruleA derivative rule stating that the derivative of x^n is n·x^(n-1), where n is a constant.
sum ruleA derivative rule stating that the derivative of a sum of functions equals the sum of their individual derivatives.

2.7 Derivatives of cos x, sinx, e^x, and ln x

TermDefinition
cosineA trigonometric function, denoted as cos x, for which the derivative is -sin x.
definition of the derivativeThe formal mathematical definition using limits: f'(x) = lim(h→0) [f(x+h) - f(x)]/h, which defines the derivative as the instantaneous rate of change.
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
exponential functionA function of the form f(x) = a^x, where a is a positive constant not equal to 1.
limitThe value that a function approaches as the input approaches some value, which may or may not equal the function's value at that point.
logarithmic functionA function of the form f(x) = log_a(x), the inverse of an exponential function.
sineA trigonometric function, denoted as sin x, for which the derivative is cos x.

2.8 The Product Rule

TermDefinition
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
differentiable functionFunctions that have a derivative at every point in their domain, meaning they are smooth and continuous without sharp corners or breaks.
product ruleA differentiation rule that states the derivative of a product of two functions equals the first function times the derivative of the second plus the second function times the derivative of the first.
quotientThe result of dividing one function by another.

2.9 The Quotient Rule

TermDefinition
derivativeThe instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point, representing the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point.
differentiable functionFunctions that have a derivative at every point in their domain, meaning they are smooth and continuous without sharp corners or breaks.
productsThe result of multiplying two or more functions together.
quotientThe result of dividing one function by another.
quotient ruleA differentiation rule used to find the derivative of a quotient of two differentiable functions.