rate of change
nounUK /reɪt əv tʃeɪndʒ/
US /reɪt əv tʃeɪndʒ/
How fast one thing changes when another thing changes.
The rate of change of the car's speed was 5 miles per hour each minute.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In math, the slope of a line showing how much y changes for each change in x.
The rate of change of the line was 3, so y went up 3 for every 1 x went up.
3. How quickly a quantity grows or shrinks over time.
The rate of change of the plant's height was 2 centimeters per week.
4. A ratio comparing the change in one value to the change in another value.
We found the rate of change by dividing the change in distance by the change in time.