Calculus Made Visual: What is a Derivative? 📐 #shorts

Added: 2026-05-27

A derivative represents the instantaneous rate of change at a single point on a curve, which is the exact slope at that point. This is visualized by taking two points on a curve (like y = x²), connecting them with a secant line to find the average rate of change, and then sliding the second point toward the first point. As the distance between the points shrinks to zero, the secant line's slope approaches the derivative, which is the tangent line's slope at that single point.