PROCEEDINGS OF THE 16TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON RESEARCH IN UNDERGRADUATE MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (Vol 2)
2013
Denver, Colorado
The Role of Time in a Related Rate Scenario
Page: 2-470
Students who graduate with an engineering or science degree using applied mathematics are expected to synthesize concepts from calculus to solve problems. First semester calculus students attempting to understand the derivative as a rate of change encounter difficulties. Specifically, the challenges arise while making the decision to apply an average rate of change or an instantaneous rate of change (Zandieh, 2000) to the problem. This paper discusses how students view the derivative in an applied mathematical setting and investigates how the concept of time and other related quantities contribute to the development of a solution.