Final answer:
The expected rate of return is an investment's average prospective profit, while risk is the level of uncertainty of achieving that return, affected by factors such as default risk and interest rate risk. High-risk investments have more volatile actual returns, which can be far above or below the expected return.
Step-by-step explanation:
The expected rate of return on an investment is a key concept for investors, representing the average profit they might hope to achieve, often expressed as a percentage over a certain period. On the other hand, risk pertains to the uncertainty surrounding this expected return, which can manifest in forms such as default risk or interest rate risk. Default risk is the risk that the issuer of a bond or loan will fail to make the required payments, while interest rate risk is the possibility of a sudden increase in market interest rates, which would have made alternative investments more profitable. High-risk investments offer a wide spectrum of potential outcomes, with actual returns fluctuating significantly around the expected rate, while low-risk investments tend to more consistently match their expected rate of return.