# Thread: Question involving derivatives; don't understand

1. ## Question involving derivatives; don't understand

Question:

Tafu is working with subatomic particles in the Physics lab. A positron is traveling in a straight line down the particle accelerator. Tafu models its position with the function.

p(t) = (t^2)/(t - 1)

Let a>1 be some fixed number. Let h>0 be some small number. Write out a formula for the slope of the secant line to the graph of x=p(t) between the point at t=a and the point at t=a+h.

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Is this question asking me to find the derivative of p(t)? Or is it asking me to find the slope of [p(a + h) - p(a)] / h without finding the limit as h approaches 0?

2. Originally Posted by iflyboats
Question:

Tafu is working with subatomic particles in the Physics lab. A positron is traveling in a straight line down the particle accelerator. Tafu models its position with the function.

p(t) = (t^2)/(t - 1)

Let a>1 be some fixed number. Let h>0 be some small number. Write out a formula for the slope of the secant line to the graph of x=p(t) between the point at t=a and the point at t=a+h.

-----------------------

Is this question asking me to find the derivative of p(t)? Or is it asking me to find the slope of [p(a + h) - p(a)] / h without finding the limit as h approaches 0?
Apparently they want the secant. So no limit as h goes to 0.

-Dan