Rate of Change

Change the positions of points A and B. What happens to the value of the Rate when you change the position of the points? How does that connect to the behavior of the graph of f(x)?

Description

This applet introduces average rate of change. Students look at the position of the points and how that changes the slope of the line segment connecting A and B. They should be able to see that the graph of f(x) is increasing and decreasing when the slope of line segment AB is positive and negative respectively.