rate-of-change function
nounUK /reɪt əv tʃeɪndʒ ˈfʌŋkʃən/
US /reɪt əv tʃeɪndʒ ˈfʌŋkʃən/
A rate-of-change function is a math rule that tells you how fast something is changing at each moment.
The rate-of-change function of a car's position tells you its speed at every second.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In everyday terms, a rule showing how quickly one quantity shifts as another changes.
The rate-of-change function for temperature shows how fast it warms up each hour.
3. In business, a formula that tracks how quickly sales or costs rise or fall over time.
Managers used a rate-of-change function to see how fast costs were climbing.
4. In science, a mathematical expression giving the speed of a process at any instant.
The rate-of-change function described how quickly the chemical reaction proceeded.