Advanced Placement /AP Calculus AB: 1.1.2 The Two Questions of Calculus

AP Calculus AB: 1.1.2 The Two Questions of Calculus

Advanced Placement3 CardsCreated 7 days ago

This flashcard set introduces the two central problems calculus aims to solve: finding instantaneous rates of change (differential calculus) and determining areas under curves (integral calculus). It explains how these concepts extend basic rate and area ideas, forming the foundation of modern calculus and connecting seemingly different problems through a unified mathematical approach.

The Two Questions of Calculus

  • Use calculus to find instantaneous rates of change and areas of exotic shapes.

  • Average rate of change: r = d/t

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Key Terms

Term
Definition

The Two Questions of Calculus

  • Use calculus to find instantaneous rates of change and areas of exotic shapes.

  • Average rate of change: r = d/t

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rate of change and differential calculus

  • Calculus creates a connection between two very different problems.

  • The first problem deals with the instantaneous rate of ch...

integral calculus

  • Differential calculus is only one piece of this course.

  • The second piece is called integral calculus. In integral
    calculu...

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TermDefinition

The Two Questions of Calculus

  • Use calculus to find instantaneous rates of change and areas of exotic shapes.

  • Average rate of change: r = d/t

rate of change and differential calculus

  • Calculus creates a connection between two very different problems.

  • The first problem deals with the instantaneous rate of change of an object in motion. An object’s average rate of change (or velocity) is equal to the change in distance divided by the change in time.

  • But suppose you need to know the velocity of an object at an exact moment in time? Then the change in time would be 0. Division by 0 is not defined.

  • Differential calculus seeks to resolve this issue. In fact, the formula for average rate of change is the very heart of differential calculus

integral calculus

  • Differential calculus is only one piece of this course.

  • The second piece is called integral calculus. In integral
    calculus you will learn how to find the areas of different
    shapes, particularly exotic shapes that do not have simple area formulas.

  • It turns out that both of these applications involve calculus and that the two answers are related to each other! By the end of this course you will understand how.