ALAMINOS CITY NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

DEPARTMENT
LEARNING ACTIVITY SHEET IN BASIC CALCULUS
Week 1 | Quarter 4 | April 24 - 28, 2023
I. Title: Derivatives

II. Learning Competency with code:

1. Illustrate the tangent line to the graph of a function at a given
point. STEM_BC11DIIIe-1
2. Applies the definition of the derivative of a function at a given
number. STEM_BC11DIIIe-2
3. Relate the derivative of a function to the slope of the tangent line.
STEM_BC11DIIIe-3

III. Background Information for Learners:

Lesson 1 THE DERIVATIVE AS A SLOPE OF THE

TANGENT LINE

The derivative is a fundamental concept in calculus that represents the rate

at which a function changes at a specific point. It is defined as the limit of
the difference quotient, which is the quotient of the change in the function's
output divided by the change in its input. The derivative has many
applications in various fields, including physics, engineering, economics, and
biology.

One of the most important interpretations of the derivative is as the slope of

the tangent line to the graph of a function at a particular point. In this
module, we will explore this interpretation in detail and show how it can be
used to find the derivatives of various functions.

The Tangent Line

The tangent line to a curve at a particular point is a straight line
that touches the curve at that point and has the same slope as the
curve at that point. The tangent line is an essential tool in calculus
because it allows us to approximate the behavior of a curve near a
specific point.
To find the equation of the tangent line to a curve at a point, we
need to find its slope at that point. The slope of a line is defined as
the change in the y-coordinate divided by the change in the x-
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coordinate. However, the slope of a curve is not constant and
changes as we move along the curve. Therefore, we need to find the
slope of the curve at a particular point.
The Derivative as the Slope of the Tangent Line
The derivative of a function at a particular point is defined as the
limit of the difference quotient as the change in the input
approaches zero. In other words, it represents the instantaneous
rate of change of the function at that point. The derivative is denoted
by f'(x) or dy/dx, where y = f(x).

The derivative of a function at a particular point also represents the

slope of the tangent line to the graph of the function at that point.
To see why, consider the following diagram:

Figure 1: Illustration of a tangent line and secant line to the graph of a function at a given point.
(source:https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/classes/calci/tangents_rates.aspx)

Here, we have a function f(x) and a point P on the graph of the

function. We want to find the slope of the tangent line to the graph
of the function at point P.

To do this, we can draw a secant line passing through points P and

Q, where Q is some point close to P on the graph of the function.
The slope of the secant line is given by the difference quotient:

𝑦2 −𝑦1 𝑓(𝑄)−𝑓(𝑃)
𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑐 = or 𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑐 =
𝑥2 −𝑥1 𝑄−𝑃
The graph (Figure 1) shows the tangent line (blue line), secant line
(green line) at point P(x,y) to the curve y = f (x). Lines tangent to the
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graph of a function y = f (x) from a given point (1,13) and secant line
passing through the two points (1,13) and (2,7).
As we move Q closer to P, the secant line becomes closer to the
tangent line. Therefore, the slope of the tangent line can be found
by taking the limit of the difference quotient as Q approaches P:

𝑦2 −𝑦1 𝑓(𝑄)−𝑓(𝑃)
𝑚𝑡𝑎𝑛 = lim or 𝑚𝑡𝑎𝑛 = lim
𝑄→𝑃 𝑥2 −𝑥1 𝑄→𝑃 𝑄−𝑃

Consider another situation below.

Figure 2 : The difference between tangent line and the secant line.
(source: https://tutorial.math.lamar.edu/classes/calci/tangents_rates.aspx)

From the graph (Figure 2), the line is a tangent line at the indicated
point because it touches the graph at one point, P(x,y), and it is also
"parallel" to the graph at that point. At the second point on the
graph, the line passes through the graph, and it is not "parallel" to
the graph at that point; thereby, it intersects with the graph at that
point, and so it’s not a tangent line to the graph at that point, and
we call that line a secant line.
Alternative Definition of the Derivative
Let f be a function defined on an open interval 𝐼 ⊆ ℝ, and let 𝑥 ∈ 𝐼.
The derivative of f at x is defined to be
𝑓(𝑥1 + ℎ) − 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑓 ′ (𝑥 ) = lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
if this limit exists.
CURVES THAT DO NOT HAVE TANGENT LINES
There are two cases in which tangent line of a graph of a function
at a point P(x, y)) do not exist.

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Case 1.When the function is not continuous at x: It is clear from
the definition of the tangent line that the function must be
continuous.
Case 2. When the function has a sharp corner/cusp at P: This case
produces different limiting positions of the secant lines PQ
depending on whether Q is to the left or to the right of P.

P
P
Finding Derivatives using Tangent Lines
One of the most common applications of the derivative as the slope
of the tangent line is finding the derivatives of various functions. To
find the derivative of a function f(x) at a particular point P, we can
follow these steps:
1. Find the equation of the tangent line to the graph of the
function at point P.
2. Find the slope of the tangent line using the formula for the
slope of a line.
3. This slope is the value of the derivative of the function at
point P.

Example 1:
Observe the graph below, what can you say about the “peaks” and “troughs” of
this smooth curve?

Solution:
Notice that on the unit circle, these points correspond to the points
(0, 1) and (0, −1), so whenever the graph is smooth (meaning, there

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are no sharp corners), the tangent lines at the “peaks” and “troughs”
are always horizontal.
Example 2:
Given A(1, -3), B(3,-2), and C(-1,0), what are the slopes of the lines
↔ , ↔ , and ↔ ?
𝐴𝐵 𝐴𝐶 𝐵𝐶

Solution:
𝒚𝑩 −𝒚𝑨 −𝟐−(−𝟑) 𝟏
𝒎↔ = = =
𝑨𝑩 𝒙𝑩 −𝒙𝑨 𝟑−𝟏 𝟐

𝒚𝑪 − 𝒚𝑪 𝟎 − (−𝟑) 𝟑
𝒎↔ = = =−
𝑨𝑪 𝒙𝑪 − 𝒙𝑪 −𝟏 − 𝟏 𝟐
𝒚𝑩 − 𝒚𝑪 𝟎 − (−𝟐) 𝟏
𝒎↔ = = =−
𝑩𝑪 𝒙𝑩 − 𝒙𝑪 −𝟏 − 𝟑 𝟐
Example 3:

Find the equation of tangent line to the curve y = 2x2 – 1 at x = 2.

Solution: We first need to get the coordinates of the point of
tangency P(x1,y1), and the slope at P(x1,y1). In this problem x1=2.
Therefore, y1 = 2x2 – 1 = 2(2)2-1 = 7. Thus, P has coordinates (2,7).
We now compute the slope:
𝑓(𝑥1 + ℎ) − 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑚 = lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
2(2 + ℎ)2 − 1 − 7
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
2(4 + 4ℎ + ℎ2 ) − 1 − 7
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
8 + 8ℎ + 2ℎ2 − 8
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
8ℎ + 2ℎ2
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
ℎ(8 + 2ℎ)
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ

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 = lim (8 + 2ℎ)
ℎ→0

𝒎=𝟖
The equation of the tangent line with slope m = 8 passing through
P(2,7) is
𝑦 − 𝑦1 = 𝑚(𝑥 − 𝑥1 )
𝑦 − 7 = 8(𝑥 − 2)
𝒚 = 𝟖𝒙 − 𝟗
Example 4:
From example number 3, find the y-intercept of the equation of the
tangent line.
Solution: Using the formula of slope intercept, we can now find
the y-intercept. Since the equation of the tangent line in Example
3 is y = 8x – 9, 8 is the slope and the y intercept is 9.

Example 5:

Show that the tangent line to the curve y = 2x2 -12x +19 at the point
(3, 1) is horizontal.

Solution: We need to show that the slope of the tangent line is 0.

𝑓(𝑥1 + ℎ) − 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑚 = lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
2(3 + ℎ)2 − 12(3 + ℎ) + 19 − 1
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
2(9 + 6ℎ + ℎ2 ) − 36 − 12ℎ + 19 − 1
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
18 + 12ℎ + 2ℎ2 − 36 − 12ℎ + 19 − 1
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
2ℎ2
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
ℎ(2ℎ)
= lim
ℎ→0 ℎ
= lim 2ℎ
ℎ→0

𝒎=𝟎
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IV. Exercises/Activities

Activity 1:
Directions: Find the equation of the tangent line to the following
curves at a given point

1. 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 𝑥 2 − 6𝑥 + 9 𝑎𝑡 𝑥 = 2

2. 𝑓(𝑥 ) = 5𝑥 2 − 7 𝑎𝑡 𝑥 = 1
Activity 2: Slope of Tangent Line in Derivatives
Materials needed:
 Graph paper
 Pencil
 Calculator (optional)
Directions:
1. Draw a curve on the graph paper. You can use any curve you like,
but it should have a clear point of maximum or minimum.
2. Choose a point on the curve near the point of maximum or
minimum. This will be the point where you will find the slope of
the tangent line.
3. Draw a tangent line to the curve at the chosen point. You can do
this by drawing a straight line that touches the curve at only one
point.
4. Use the slope formula (y2-y1)/(x2-x1) to find the slope of the
tangent line at the chosen point. You can choose a second point
on the tangent line and a third point on the curve near the chosen
point to calculate the slope.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 for several different points on the curve near the
point of maximum or minimum.
6. Compare the slopes of the tangent lines at different points. What
do you notice? Do the slopes change as you move closer to the
point of maximum or minimum?
7. Use the knowledge you gained from the previous steps to answer
the following questions:

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 a. What is the relationship between the slope of the tangent
line and the slope of the curve at the point of maximum or
minimum?
b. What is the slope of the tangent line at the point of
maximum or minimum?
c. Can you predict whether the slope of the tangent line at the
point of maximum or minimum will be positive or negative?
Scoring Rubric

V. References for Learners

1. Basic Calculus Grade 11 PIVOT IV-A Learner’s Material Quarter 3 First Edition, 2020
2. Basic Calculus - Senior High School Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 3 - Module 2: The Derivatives First
Edition, 2020

Prepared by: :

LORDIANE L. CAMBA
Teacher II