Answer:
1
Step-by-step explanation:
To find the average rate of change of function f(x) over a specific interval, we can the average rate of change formula:
[tex]\boxed{\begin{array}{c}\underline{\textsf{Average rate of change of function $f(x)$}}\\\\$\dfrac{f(b)-f(a)}{b-a}$\\\\\textsf{over the interval $[a,b]$}\end{array}}[/tex]
In this case, the interval is 1 ≤ x ≤ 5, so:
The function values at the endpoints of the interval are:
- f(a) = f(1) = 5
- f(b) = f(5) = 9
Now, substitute these values into the formula:
[tex]\textsf{Average Rate of Change} = \dfrac{f(5) - f(1)}{5 - 1}\\\\\\\textsf{Average Rate of Change} = \dfrac{9-5}{5 - 1}\\\\\\\textsf{Average Rate of Change} = \dfrac{4}{4}\\\\\\\textsf{Average Rate of Change} = 1[/tex]
So, the average rate of change of the function over the interval 1 ≤ x ≤ 5 is 1.