Changes

The tangent approximation method is a method in Calculus employed to find the equation of a line tangent to the curve. One must know the slope of the curve and a point on the curve. The slope is usually found by taking the derivative of the equation and equating it to the change in ''y'' over the change in ''x'':

The '''tangent approximation''' method is a method in [[Calculus]] employed to find the equation of a line tangent to the curve. One must know the slope of the curve and a point on the curve. The slope is usually found by taking the derivative of the equation and equating it to the change in ''y'' over the change in ''x'':

<math> \frac{dy}{dx}\ = \frac{rise}{run}\ = \frac{y - y'}{x - x'}\ </math>

<math> \frac{dy}{dx}\ = \frac{rise}{run}\ = \frac{y - y'}{x - x'}\ </math>

<math> y - y' = \frac{dy}{dx}\ x - x'</math>

<math> y - y' = \frac{dy}{dx}\ x - x'</math>

When one point on the curve is known, x and y values are plugged into <math> \frac{dy}{dx}\ </math> to find the slope at a particular point, and the coordinates of the point are plugged in for <math> (x',y') </math>

When ( ''x' '', ''y' '') is a known point on the line.