Asked by John
                The point P(9, −4) lies on the curve y = 4 / (8 − x).
If Q is the point (x, 4/(8 − x)) find the slope of the secant line PQ (correct to six decimal places) for the following values of x.
a) 9.1 b) 9.001
for a) I keep getting 3.636363 and for b) I keep getting 3.996003. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
            
        If Q is the point (x, 4/(8 − x)) find the slope of the secant line PQ (correct to six decimal places) for the following values of x.
a) 9.1 b) 9.001
for a) I keep getting 3.636363 and for b) I keep getting 3.996003. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
Answers
                    Answered by
            oobleck
            
    what makes you think you're wrong?
why do you not show your work?
(f(9..1)-f(9))/(9.1-9) = (-4-(-3.636363))/0.1 = -3.363636
Maybe you just misread your calculator ...
Show your work for the 2nd one
    
why do you not show your work?
(f(9..1)-f(9))/(9.1-9) = (-4-(-3.636363))/0.1 = -3.363636
Maybe you just misread your calculator ...
Show your work for the 2nd one
                    Answered by
            John
            
    My online homework keeps marking both problems as wrong...  
My work for the second one is [(4/(8-9.001) - (-4)]/(9.001 - 9) = [(4/-1.001) - (-4)]/(.001) = (-3.996003996 + 4)/(.001) = (0.003996004)/(.001) = 3.996003
    
My work for the second one is [(4/(8-9.001) - (-4)]/(9.001 - 9) = [(4/-1.001) - (-4)]/(.001) = (-3.996003996 + 4)/(.001) = (0.003996004)/(.001) = 3.996003
                    Answered by
            mathhelper
            
    I noticed when you showed your work for the second part, that you
were not consistent in the direction you subtracted .
If your points are,
(9, -4)
(9.001, k)
then you calculate either (k -(-4)) / (9.001 - 9)
or (-4 - k)/(9 - 9.001)
so should have been:
[(4/(8-9.001) - (-4)]/(9.001 - 9) = -3.996003996
= -3.996004 correct to 6 decimals or
[-4 - 4/(8-9.001)]/(9.001 - 9) = -3.996004 correct to 6 decimals
you did - ∆y / ∆x
    
were not consistent in the direction you subtracted .
If your points are,
(9, -4)
(9.001, k)
then you calculate either (k -(-4)) / (9.001 - 9)
or (-4 - k)/(9 - 9.001)
so should have been:
[(4/(8-9.001) - (-4)]/(9.001 - 9) = -3.996003996
= -3.996004 correct to 6 decimals or
[-4 - 4/(8-9.001)]/(9.001 - 9) = -3.996004 correct to 6 decimals
you did - ∆y / ∆x
                    Answered by
            John
            
    Thanks so much for your responses. I appreciate it. Part of my error is that I was forgetting to round! 
    
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