Gradient as a rate of change
What Gradient as a rate of change means in Mathematics GCSE, as defined for AQA.
Definitions of Gradient as a rate of change
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Reference: AQA
On a straight-line graph, it measures how steeply the line rises or falls and represents the change in the vertical quantity divided by the change in the horizontal quantity.
The gradient at a point on a curve is the instantaneous rate of change, and the gradient of a chord is the average rate of change between two points.
Found by dividing the change in y by the change in x, and in financial contexts can be a rate of change such as cost per unit.
Topics that use Gradient as a rate of change
- Graphs (AQA GCSE)
- Ratio, proportion and rates of change (AQA GCSE)
Related terms
- Algebraic rearrangement of compound-unit formulae
- Area under a graph as an accumulated total
- Asymptote
- Asymptotes
- Asymptotes and domain restrictions
- average rate of change
- Checking the reasonableness
- Chord
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