ABSTRACT

If a quantity y depends on and varies with a quantity x then the rate of change of y with respect to x is

dy dx

Thus, for example, the rate of change of pressure p with height h is

dp dh

A rate of change with respect to time is usually just called ‘the rate of change’, the ‘with respect to time’ being assumed. Thus, for example, a rate of change of current, i, is

di dt

and a rate of change of temperature, θ ,

is dθ dt

, and so on.