Calculus with Spreadsheets: Rates of Change, Optimisation & Area
Learn calculus by computing it: difference quotients, derivatives and tangents, marginal analysis, profit optimisation, elasticity, trapezoid and Simpson integration, consumer surplus and growth with e in 8 hands-on labs.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A calculus course where you compute every idea instead of only reading about it, for business, economics and science students and anyone brushing up before a first-year exam. You watch the average speed of a falling package settle on the instantaneous speed as the interval shrinks, estimate a derivative from a table with central differences and draw the tangent line, model a bike maker's marginal cost, revenue and profit, find the profit maximum where the derivative changes sign and solve P′(q) = 0, turn an exponential demand curve into a point elasticity and the revenue-maximising price, integrate a speed curve with the trapezoid rule and Simpson's rule against the exact answer, measure consumer and producer surplus as areas between curves and grow cash with continuous compounding and e, including a half-life. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Average vs Instantaneous Rate: The Difference QuotientFree
- Numerical Derivative Table & the Tangent Line Pro
- Marginal Cost, Revenue & Profit Pro
- Optimisation: Find the Profit Maximum Pro
- Point Elasticity of Demand with a Derivative Pro
- Numerical Integration: Trapezoid & Simpson vs Exact Pro
- Area Between Curves & Consumer Surplus Pro
- Growth & Decay with e: Continuous Compounding & Half-Life Pro