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Multiple Choice
Let be the function given by . What is the instantaneous rate of change of with respect to at ?
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Verified step by step guidance
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Step 1: Recall that the instantaneous rate of change of a function at a specific point is given by the derivative of the function evaluated at that point. For the function f(x) = x³ - 2x + 1, we need to compute f'(x), the derivative of f(x).
Step 2: Differentiate f(x) = x³ - 2x + 1 term by term. Using the power rule (d/dx[xⁿ] = n*xⁿ⁻¹) and the constant rule (d/dx[c] = 0), the derivative is f'(x) = 3x² - 2.
Step 3: Substitute x = 2 into the derivative f'(x) to find the instantaneous rate of change at that point. This means we calculate f'(2) = 3*(2)² - 2.
Step 4: Simplify the expression f'(2) = 3*(2)² - 2. First, compute (2)² = 4, then multiply by 3 to get 12, and finally subtract 2.
Step 5: The simplified result of f'(2) gives the instantaneous rate of change of f(x) at x = 2. This completes the process.