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| Question 16724:  Please help with this problem:
 Find the indicated difference quotient and simplify answer.
 Given f(x) = x^2 = 5x + 1
 find f(5 + h) - f(5) over h
 what I did:
 1. f(5+h) = (5+h)^2 + 5(5+h) +1
 =(5+h)(5+h) + 5(5+h) +1
 =25 +5h +5h +h^2 +25 +5h + 1
 =51 + 15h +h^2
 2. f(5+h) - f(5) = 51 + 15h + h^2 - 5^2 + 5(5) + 1
 = 51 + 15h + h^2 - 25 + 25 + 1
 = 52 + 15h + h2
 3. f(5+h) - f(5) over h = 52 + 15h + h^2 over h
 The teacher's answer is 15 + h
 Where did I go wrong?
 Please help!
 Thanks,
 Sandy
 Answer by rapaljer(4671)
      (Show Source): 
You can put this solution on YOUR website! In step 2, you made the most common error in this type of problem.  When you do f(5+h) - f(5), be sure to minus the quantity of f(5)!! 
 It should look like this with extra parentheses added:
 f(5+h) - f(5) = 51 + 15h + h^2 - (5^2 + 5(5) + 1)
 = 51 + 15h + h^2 - (25 + 25 + 1)
 =  15h + h2
 3. f(5+h) - f(5) over h =  (15h + h^2) over h, which comes out to
 
 The teacher's answer which is 15 + h
 
 R^2 at SCC
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