Two figures in, a clear answer out. The average rate of change calculator uses fx1, fx10, fx2, fx3, fx4, fx5, fx6, fx7, fx8, fx9, x1, x10, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8 and x9 to produce average rate of change, applying the standard relationship for this problem in the order the calculation actually needs it.
What Is the Average Rate of Change Calculator?
The average rate of change calculator works through fx1, fx10, fx2, fx3, fx4, fx5, fx6, fx7, fx8, fx9, x1, x10, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8 and x9 to give you average rate of change.
It is aimed at the case where you know the method but not the arithmetic: schoolwork, a quick check on a worked example, or a figure that needs to be right first time.
How the Average Rate of Change Works
Each step is applied in order and depends only on the values before it, which makes it possible to follow the calculation rather than take it on trust.
If you are working through the same problem by hand afterwards, compare the intermediate values. That is where a mistake usually shows itself.
Checking Your Own Working
Round sensibly as you go and keep the full precision in the calculator. Rounding too early is the most common way of getting a right method to give a wrong answer.
Where a result should be a whole number, such as a count, check it against the constraint that produced it. A fraction of a person is a sign that something upstream needs revisiting.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with fx1 set to 10, fx10 set to 5, fx2 set to 2, the calculator returns average rate of change of -1, and average rate of change (average3) of 30, and average rate of change (average4) of -. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out average rate of change?
Enter fx1, fx10, fx2, fx3, fx4, fx5, fx6, fx7, fx8, fx9, x1, x10, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8 and x9. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports average rate of change.
What does the average rate of change actually calculate?
It takes fx1, fx10, fx2, fx3, fx4, fx5, fx6, fx7, fx8, fx9, x1, x10, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6, x7, x8 and x9 and converts them into average rate of change using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter fx1?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Is the answer exact?
It is as exact as the formula and the inputs allow. The method itself is the standard one for this problem, so the only sources of error are the figures you enter and the precision you ask for.
Do I have to fill in every field?
Only the fields a particular result depends on. If you leave one blank, the results that need it simply show a note instead of a number, and everything else still works.