can you help me from where I ended

If f(x) = 2x^2 - 3x - 5, then
[f(x + h) - f(x)]/h =

2(x+h)^2+3(x + h)-5
2(x^+2xh+h^2)+3(xh)-5
(2x^2+4xh+2h^2+3x+3h-5)-(2x^2+3x-5)

I dont know what to do from here

Is that second term supposed to be "-3x" or "+3x"?

Your methodology looks fine. Assuming your work is correct, just take the "minus" through the parentheses, cancel off the duplicate terms, and simplify whatever is left.

Then divide the whole thing by "h". With luck, an "h" will factor out of whatever you'd had (from the simplifying in the previous paragraph), and it'll cancel off, just leaving you with a polynomial.

Eliz.

sorry I get so confused at times when it comes to factoring would the answer be 4x + 2h - 3?

That's what I get.



Eliz.