How Do I Find a Net Change?

To find the net change of a function, calculate the function value at the larger x-value and subtract the function value at the smaller x-value. In other words, it's the difference in the function's output values between two points.

Here's a breakdown:

The net change of a function f(x) from x = a to x = b is calculated as:

Net Change = f(b) - f(a)

Where:

• f(b) is the function value at x = b (the larger x-value).
• f(a) is the function value at x = a (the smaller x-value).

Example:

Let's say you have the function f(x) = x² and you want to find the net change from x = 1 to x = 3.

1. Calculate f(3): f(3) = 3² = 9
2. Calculate f(1): f(1) = 1² = 1
3. Calculate the Net Change: Net Change = f(3) - f(1) = 9 - 1 = 8

Therefore, the net change of the function f(x) = x² from x = 1 to x = 3 is 8.

In essence, net change quantifies how much a function's output has changed over a specific interval.