Final answer:
The value of the numerical derivative fprime(5) of the function f(x) = 2^x using the symmetric difference quotient with h=0.5 is approximately 2.13.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks us to find the numerical derivative fprime(5) of the function f(x) = 2^x using the symmetric difference quotient with h=0.5. The symmetric difference quotient is given by the formula:
fprime(x) = (f(x+h) - f(x-h)) / (2h)
Substituting the values into the formula, we have:
fprime(5) = (2^(5+0.5) - 2^(5-0.5)) / (2*0.5)
= (2^5.5 - 2^4.5) / 1
= approximately 2.13