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If, for all real numbers x, f'(x) > 0, which of the following curves could be part of the graph f?

A) A curve that is strictly increasing.
B) A curve that is strictly decreasing.
C) A curve with horizontal tangents at all points.
D) A curve that is symmetric about the y-axis.

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

The correct answer is A) A curve that is strictly increasing. This is because a positive derivative indicates that the function is increasing for all values of x.

Step-by-step explanation:

If f'(x) > 0 for all real numbers x, it means that the function f is always increasing. This is because the derivative f'(x) represents the slope of the tangent line to the curve of the function f at any point x. A positive slope indicates that as x increases, f(x) also increases.

Given that knowledge, the curve that could be part of the graph f is A) A curve that is strictly increasing. Option B, C, and D do not fit the condition that f'(x) > 0. A strictly decreasing curve would imply f'(x) < 0. A curve with horizontal tangents would imply f'(x) = 0. And a curve that is symmetric about the y-axis does not necessarily relate to the sign of its derivative.

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