3.4 - Central Difference Formulas
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Practice Questions
Test your understanding with targeted questions
What is the central difference formula for the first derivative?
💡 Hint: Think about how we approximate using points around x.
What data points are needed for the second derivative approximation?
💡 Hint: Remember you need data from both sides.
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Interactive Quizzes
Quick quizzes to reinforce your learning
What does the central difference formula use for its calculation?
💡 Hint: Think about the formula used for estimation.
True or False: The central difference formula is less accurate than the forward difference formula.
💡 Hint: Consider how more data points influence accuracy.
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Challenge Problems
Push your limits with advanced challenges
Given the following data points: x = [1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8] and corresponding f(x) values = [0, 0.128, 0.544, 1.296, 2.432], apply the central difference method to estimate f′(1.6) and f′(1.4).
💡 Hint: Use the right data points and don’t forget the step-size in your calculations.
Analyze the effect on the accuracy of the resulting derivative estimation if the spacing (h) between points is halved. Discuss how it relates to truncation and round-off errors.
💡 Hint: Consider both types of errors when adjusting h.
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