Final answer:
The average rate of change of a function between two points is found by subtracting the function values at these points and dividing by the difference in the independent variable.
Step-by-step explanation:
The average rate of change of a function is calculated by finding the difference in the function's values at two distinct points, and then dividing that difference by the change in the independent variable. For the function y = f(x), the average rate of change between x = 1 and x = 2 is found using the formula:
Average rate of change = [f(2) - f(1)] / (2 - 1)
To find f(1) and f(2), you must substitute x = 1 and x = 2 into the function y = f(x) and calculate the corresponding y-values. After obtaining these y-values, plug them into the formula above to calculate the average rate of change.