Sal defines the term derivative by taking the listener on a well-organized tour of slope. First, he reviews the concept of slope of a line from algebra, then extends this idea to look at the slope of the curve by first examining a secant line to the curve and then, using our knowledge of limits, defines the limit as x approaches zero to get the slope of the tangent line to the curve. Along with the video, there is an interesting practice problem that models the connection between the slopes of the tangent lines and the derivative of a function. Note: This video has similar content as the Khan Academy video of the same name with "(new HD version)Ó However, the graphs on the HD version are clearer.
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