Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Average Rate of Change
The average rate of change of a function over an interval [a, b] is defined as the change in the function's value divided by the change in the input value. Mathematically, it is expressed as (f(b) - f(a)) / (b - a). This concept is crucial for understanding how a function behaves over a specific range and is often used to analyze the function's growth or decline.
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Function Evaluation
Function evaluation involves substituting a specific value into a function to determine its output. For the function g(x) = x² - 2x, evaluating it at points 1 and 3 means calculating g(1) and g(3). This step is essential for finding the values needed to compute the average rate of change over the specified interval.
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Quadratic Functions
Quadratic functions are polynomial functions of degree two, typically expressed in the form f(x) = ax² + bx + c. The function g(x) = x² - 2x is a quadratic function where a = 1, b = -2, and c = 0. Understanding the properties of quadratic functions, such as their parabolas' shape and vertex, is important for analyzing their behavior over intervals.
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