Question

Explain derivatives to me in the simplest way possible

Answer 1

more specifically, the derivative of a function allows us to calculate the slope (rate of change) of non-linear functions

Answer 2

for example, for the function

f(x) = x^2, the derivative is 2x. when x = 1, the derivative tells us that the "slope" (rate of change) is 2, and when x = 2, the slope is 4

this can be represented by drawing a tangent line at the specified x value