Question

What is the average rate of change of the function f(x)=5(2)^x from x = 1 to x = 5?

Answer 1

Plug in x = 1 to get...
f(x) = 5(2)^x
f(1) = 5(2)^1
f(1) = 10
So the point (1,10) is on this curve

Do the same for x = 5
f(x) = 5(2)^x
f(5) = 5(2)^5
f(5) = 160
The point (5,160) is also on the curve

Use the slope formula now
m = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1)
m = (160-10)/(5-1)
m = 150/4
m = 37.5

The average rate of change is 37.5