Slope of a Function

The slope of a function is a fundamental concept in mathematics that describes how the output of a function changes in response to changes in its input. In simple terms, the slope tells us how steep a curve or line is and whether it is increasing or decreasing.

While the concept of slope is commonly associated with straight lines, it also extends to curves using calculus. The derivative of a function allows us to determine the instantaneous slope at any given point.

What is a Function?

A function is a fundamental concept in mathematics, computer science, and other fields that refers to a relationship or mapping between a set of inputs and a set of possible outputs.

Each input is related to exactly one output. Some examples of functions are:

1. Constant Function: f(x) = 5
   • The output remains constant.
   • The slope is 0 (horizontal line).
2. Linear Function: f(x) = 2x + 3
   • The output changes at a constant rate.
   • The slope is 2, meaning for every 1-unit increase in x, the function increases by 2.
3. Quadratic Function: f(x) = x²
   • The output changes at a varying rate.
   • The slope depends on the value of x and is found using derivatives.

Graphical Interpretation of Slope

Graphically we can understand slope as:

• Tangent Line: The slope of a function at a point can be visualized as the slope of the tangent line to the function's graph at that point.
• Secant Line: The average rate of change of the function over an interval can be visualized as the slope of the secant line connecting two points on the graph.

Types of Slopes

There are four main types of slopes:

• Positive Slope: A line has a positive slope when it rises from left to right. This means as the x-coordinate increases, the y-coordinate also increases. For a positive slope, m > 0.

• Negative Slope: A line has a negative slope when it falls from left to right. This means as the x-coordinate increases, the y-coordinate decreases. For a negative slope, m < 0.

• Zero Slope: A line has a zero slope when it is perfectly horizontal. This means there is no change in the y-coordinate as the x-coordinate increases. For a zero slope, y₂ = y₁, so m = 0.

• Undefined Slope: A line has an undefined slope when it is perfectly vertical. This means there is no change in the x-coordinate as the y-coordinate increases or decreases. For an undefined slope, x₂ = x₁​, making the denominator zero, which means the slope is undefined.

How to Calculate the Slope of a Function?

Slope of a function can be calculated using the formula or the concept of derivatives in calculus. Let's discuss these methods in detail.

Using the Slope Formula

To calculate the slope, using the formula we can use the following steps:

• Step 1: Identify the coordinates of two points on the line.
• Step 2: Substitute the coordinates into the slope formula.
• Step 3: Calculate the difference in the y-values and the x-values.
• Step 4: Divide the difference in the y-values by the difference in the x-values to find the slope.

Let's consider an example for better understanding:

Find the slope of the line passing through the points (1, 2) and (3, 4)

m = \frac{4 - 2}{3 - 1} = \frac{2}{2} = 1

So, the slope of the line is 1.

Using the Derivative

The derivative of a function gives the slope of the tangent line to the function at any point. If f(x) is a function, its derivative f′(x) represents the slope of the function at any point x.

• Step 1: Find the derivative of the function f(x).
• Step 2: Evaluate the derivative at the point of interest to find the slope at that specific point.

Let's consider an example for better understanding:

Example: Find the slope of the function f(x)=x² at the point x = 2.

Solution:

f'(x) = \frac{d}{dx}(x^2) = 2x

at x = 2,

⇒ f′(2) = 2⋅2 = 4

So, the slope of the function f(x) = x² at the point x = 2 is 4.

Slope of a Linear Function

The slope of a linear function represents the rate at which the function changes along the x-axis.

• Slope-Intercept Form
• Point-Slope Form

Let's discuss this in detail.

Slope-Intercept Form

Intercept Form of a linear equation is one of the most commonly used forms for representing linear equations. It is written as:

y = mx + b

In this form:

• y is the dependent variable.
• x is the independent variable.
• m is the slope of the line.
• b is the y-intercept, which is the point where the line crosses the y-axis.

Point-Slope Form

Point Slope Form of a linear equation is useful for writing the equation of a line when you know the slope and a point on the line. It is written as:

y − y₁ = m(x − x₁)

Where,

• (x₁, y₁) is a known point on the line.
• m is the slope of the line.

Slope of a Non-Linear Function

The slope of a non-linear function at a specific point is given by the derivative of the function at that point. The derivative represents the instantaneous rate of change of the function and is denoted as f′(x) or dy/dx for a function y = f(x).

If y = f(x) is a non-linear function, the slope at any point x = ax is found by computing the derivative f′(a). This derivative is the limit of the average rate of change of the function as the interval approaches zero. Mathematically, it is expressed as:

f'(a) = \lim_{{h \to 0}} \frac{f(a+h) - f(a)}{h}

Tangent Line and Slope

The derivative at a point x = ax also gives us the slope of the tangent line to the function at that point. The equation of the tangent line to the curve y = f(x) at the point (a, f(a)) is given by:

y − f(a) = f′(a)(x − a)

Using our previous example, for the function y = x² at x = 3:

• The slope f′(3) = 6.
• The point on the curve is (3, 9).

Thus, the equation of the tangent line is:

y − 9 = 6(x − 3)
⇒  y = 6x − 9

Read More,

• Slope Formula
• X and Y Intercept Formula
• Two Point Form
• Derivatives

Solved Examples on Slope of a Function

Example 1: Find the the slope of f(x) = 5x − 3.

Solution:

f′(x) = d/dx(5x − 3) = 5

The slope of the function f(x) = 5x − 3 is constant and equal to 5 at all points.

Example 2: Find the slope of f(x) = x² − 4x + 6 at x = 1 and 3.

Solution:

f′(x) = d/dx(x² − 4x + 6) = 2x − 4
At x = 1: f′(1) = 2(1) − 4 = 2 − 4 = −2

The slope at x = 1 is -2.
At x = 3: f′(3) = 2(3) − 4 = 6 − 4 = 2

The slope at x = 3 is 2.

Example 3: Find slope of f(x) = 3x³ + 2x² − x + 4

Solution:

f′(x) = d/dx(3x³ + 2x² − x + 4) = 9x² + 4x − 1

At x = −1: f′(−1) = 9(−1)² + 4(−1) − 1 = 9 − 4 − 1 = 4

The slope at x = −1 is 4.

At x = 2: f′(2) = 9(2)² + 4(2) − 1 = 36 + 8 − 1 =43

The slope at x = 2 is 43.

Example 4: Find the the slope of f(x) = sin(x) at x = π/4 and π.

Solution:

f′(x) = d/dx(sin⁡(x)) = cos⁡(x)

At x = π/4: f′(π/4) = cos⁡(π/4) = √2

The slope at x = π/4 is ​​√2.

At x=π: f′(π) = cos⁡(π) = −1

The slope at x = π is -1.

Example 5: Find slope at x =1 and x = 0 of f(x) = e^x

Solution:

f′(x) = d/dx(e^x) = e^x

At x = 0: f′(0) = e⁰ = 1

The slope at x = 0 is 1.

At x = 1: f′(1) = e¹ = e

The slope at x = 1 is e.

Practice Problems on the Slope of a Function

Question 1: Find the slope of the function f(x) = 7x + 5.

Question 2: Calculate the slope of the function f(x) = 3x² − 4x + 2.

Question 3: Determine the slope of the function f(x) = −x² + 6x − 8.

Question 4: Find the slope of the function f(x) = 4x³ − x² + 5x − 2.

Question 5: Determine the slope of the function f(x) = cos⁡(x) at x = π/3​.

Question 6: Calculate the slope of the function f(x) = 2^x at x = 1.

Question 7: Determine the slope of the curve f(x) = ln(x) at x = 1.

Question 8: What is the slope of the linear function f(x) = −5x + 3?

Question 9: Find the slope of the function f(x) = 3x + 2 at any point on the graph.

Question 10: What is the slope of the line passing through the points (1, 4) and (3, 10)?