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Quiz yourself on Gradients of CurvesGet your flashcardsBuild my revision planTrack my progressImproving the Accuracy of Tangent Estimates (Higher)
The accuracy of a gradient estimate from a tangent depends on how carefully the tangent is drawn. To improve accuracy:
- Choose two points on the tangent that are as far apart as possible: this reduces the relative effect of any small drawing error
- Make sure the line touches the curve at your chosen point and follows the direction of the curve there
- Use a ruler and read coordinates precisely from the axis scales
- Where a gradient is asked as a rate of change (e.g. speed from a distance-time graph), state the units clearly
Different tangent drawings at the same point by different students should give very similar gradient values if drawn carefully: mark schemes accept answers within a range around the expected gradient, and the size of the range depends on the question.
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