Maths

>

GCSE

Rates of Change

Question

How do you find the rate of change?

2 years ago

·

197 Replies

·

8382 views

V

Vickie Shanahan


197 Answers

M
Muhammad Emaduddin Khan

As far as GCSE Maths is concerned, you take the two pairs of values that are given, and with them:

i) you calculate a difference between respective valued

ii) you then take a ratio of these teo differences (if the two quantities are concerned are Y and X, or some other quantity and time, then the difference of Y/some other quantity goes in the numerator while the difference of X/time goes in the denominator, in the ratio).

iii) the value you get from this ratio is the rate.


For example, if the two pairs are (2,10) and (6,14). Then:

-the difference of the Y values is 14-10=4

-the difference of the X values is 6-2=4

-the ratio is simply 4/4=1

-the rate is therefore 1

I
Iliirjan

The rate of change in measured the change in Y over the change in X

Abdul M Profile Picture
Abdul M Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

I am a Cambridge Graduate (1st class BA) and a 4th yr medical student

2 reviews

Difference divided by the time.

In terms of a graph, this will be the change in the y-axis divided by the change in the x-axis (aka slope).

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.
Abdul M Profile Picture
Abdul M Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

Achieve top GCSE grades with expert tutoring from Imperial College

3 reviews

It is simply a total concerned amount divided by the total time. For example, if you want to find out rate of change of distance. You consider total distance covered by the vehicle and divide it by the total time it took for that change.


Rate of change of position = total covered distance / total taken time.

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.
P
Paul Hunt

This is easier to work out from a graph, the rate of change is the gradient of the line - the change in y divided by the change in x. However, you might not have time in exam conditions to draw a graph when it's not asked of you, so I would suggest picking two points of the data - ignoring outliers if there are any. Calculate the difference between them by taking them away from each other, then divide that by the difference in time between them. This will give you the rate of change.

Vashisht K Profile Picture
Vashisht K Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

6 years teaching STEM up to Degree level. Master's Graduate from KCL

23 reviews

In a graph of a value vs time, it would be the gradient. Otherwise simply divide the difference in any particular value by the time taken.

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.
Dr M Profile Picture
Dr M Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

An experienced tutor for science subjects and competitive exams

If you take the change in Y values and divide that with the change in X-values the result will be a rate of change,

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.
S
Sonya Pervez

The rate of change (ROC) is how much the value of something changes over a period of time and it is given in percentage terms.


To find this you first calculate the change in "Y" values (or the change in an outcome variable) divided by the change in "X" values (or the change in input variables).


So if my tutoring time increases from 3 hours in week 1 to 16 hours in week 2 and my income increases from £45 per week to £240 per week, Y values are my income and X values are the work hours I put in. r

To calculate the ROC I would do the following.


(240 - 45) / (16 - 3) = 195 / 13 = 15% rate of change in my earnings between week 1 and week 2.

Emanuel Profile Picture
Emanuel Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

Experienced and enthusiastic Maths Tutor and Maths teacher of GCSE and

You would have to differentiate

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.
D
Dahen Kheder

This depends on what type of rate of change you are looking for, however either it be speed, temperature or mass, you are usually able to plot this variable against time on a graph, to find the rate of change you have to find the gradient of this graph.


If looking at a straight line graph, you are able to simply identify two points on the line and note down their coordinates. You are then able to do (Y2-Y1)/(X2-X1) to find the rate of change.


If it is a curved graph, draw a tangent and use the (Y2-Y1)/(X2-X1) formula on the tangent. The rate of change is not the same all across and you have to draw a tangent on a specific point on the graph to find the rate of change at that time specifically.

You would also be able to use differentiation to be able to find the gradient at a specific point.


I hope this helps :)

Hammad S Profile Picture
Hammad S Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

University of Leeds Graduate student ready to teach all that is Maths!

The rate of change measures how a quantity changes over time or across space. It's often represented as the slope of a line connecting two points on a graph.

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.
M
Milton Tom

Frays of change is how much x. Ganges w time or another variable . So this can be done by working out the gradient of a graph or differentiating If it is an expression

D
Dewain Sewell

Distance traveled divided by time it takes. On a graph that would be calculating the difference in the change in y and the change in x

F
Farooq

The rate of change (ROC) is the speed at which a variable changes over a specific period of time

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

Elizabeth Profile Picture
Elizabeth Verified Sherpa Tutor ✓

Qualified Teacher to help you excel.

4 reviews

divide the change in y-values by the change in x-values

I'm available for 1:1 private online tuition!

Click here to view my profile and arrange a free introduction.

Think you can help?

More Maths GCSE Questions
Sherpa Badge

Need a GCSE Maths tutor?

Get started with a free online introductions with an experienced and qualified online tutor on Sherpa.

Find a GCSE Maths Tutor