Instantaneous Rate of Change: Derivative Visual Intro
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Updated Animation Specification: Intro to Derivative (with FB Reel Outro)
Scene: IntroDerivativeScene (single Manim Scene)
1. Animation Description & Purpose
Create a concise, visual introduction to the concept of the derivative as the instantaneous rate of change, ending with a brief outro that displays the page name and a tagline. The animation keeps the original educational flow and is sized for a Facebook Reel (portrait 9:16).
- Show a simple function and its graph.
- Illustrate the secant line between two points and how it approaches the tangent line as the points converge.
- Reveal the limit definition of the derivative and the resulting derivative formula .
- Emphasize the geometric meaning (slope of the tangent) with a dynamic tangent line.
- Conclude with a visual of the derivative function plotted alongside the original and an outro that reads:
- Physics x Edu (the Facebook page name)
- Visual Learning Made Easy
Total runtime: ≈ 34 seconds (well under the 60‑second limit).
2. Mathematical Elements & Formulas
- Function:
- Secant slope:
- Limit definition:
- Computed derivative:
- Tangent line at :
- Outro statements: "Physics x Edu" and "Visual Learning Made Easy"
3. Visual Elements
| Element | Description | Color / Style |
|---|---|---|
| Coordinate axes | Standard Cartesian axes, arrows at ends, labeled and (opaque white background for labels) | Light gray axes, black labels |
| Function curve | Smooth parabola from to | Deep blue, stroke width 4 |
| Point A (base point) | Small solid circle at | Red, radius 0.08 |
| Point B (moving point) | Small solid circle at | Orange, radius 0.08 |
| Secant line | Straight line connecting A and B, dashed initially, becomes solid as shrinks | Orange, dash pattern 0.1, width 3 |
| Tangent line | Solid line through A with slope | Green, width 3 |
| Derivative curve | Thin green line plotted after derivative is revealed | Green, stroke width 2 |
| Formula text boxes | LaTeX formulas displayed in a semi‑transparent dark rectangle with white text for readability | White text on dark gray background, padding 0.2 |
| Outro text box | Two‑line summary centered near the top: first line "Physics x Edu", second line "Visual Learning Made Easy". Placed inside an opaque dark rectangle with white text; slight drop‑shadow for depth. | White text on dark gray background |
4. Animation Timing & Transitions (seconds)
| Time | Action |
|---|---|
| 0.0 – 2.0 | Fade‑in axes and function curve. |
| 2.0 – 4.0 | Appear point A at with a brief pop effect. |
| 4.0 – 8.0 | Introduce point B moving rightward: start with (point at ). Draw dashed secant line between A and B. |
| 8.0 – 12.0 | Animate decreasing smoothly to 0.2, then 0.05, then 0.01. Secant line updates in real time; dash length shortens to suggest convergence. |
| 12.0 – 14.0 | Fade in the limit definition formula box near the top‑right corner. |
| 14.0 – 16.0 | As approaches 0, replace the dashed secant with a solid green tangent line at A. Simultaneously fade out point B. |
| 16.0 – 18.0 | Highlight the slope of the tangent by drawing a small right‑triangle under the line and label its rise/run as "2" (text box with opaque background). |
| 18.0 – 20.0 | Fade in the derivative formula at the top‑center. |
| 20.0 – 24.0 | Plot the derivative curve across the same axes, drawing from left to right. |
| 24.0 – 26.0 | Show a brief side‑by‑side overlay: original parabola in blue, derivative line in green, with a legend (small colored squares with labels) appearing with opaque background. |
| 26.0 – 28.0 | Fade out all auxiliary objects, leaving only the axes and both curves for a 2‑second hold. |
| 28.0 – 32.0 | Outro: Fade in the outro text box containing the two lines "Physics x Edu" and "Visual Learning Made Easy". Hold for 2 seconds. |
| 32.0 – 34.0 | Fade out the outro text box together with the entire scene (axes and curves) to finish. |
5. Camera Angles, Perspectives & Output Size
- Fixed orthographic camera throughout; no pan.
- Slight zoom‑in (1.1×) on the region around during the secant‑to‑tangent transition (frames 12‑18), then smoothly zoom back to full view by 20 s.
- Render size: Portrait 9:16 aspect ratio for a Facebook Reel (e.g., 1080 × 1920 pixels). All elements are positioned to stay within the safe central area of the portrait frame.
- No camera movement during the outro; the camera remains at the full‑view framing.
6. Additional Details
- All fades use a 0.5 s linear transition unless otherwise noted.
- Text boxes (formulas, legend, outro) have a 0.1 s fade‑in and a 0.1 s fade‑out.
- Colors are chosen for high contrast and color‑blind friendliness.
- No extraneous narration; visual cues alone convey the concept.
- The entire animation remains within a single
Scenesubclass, satisfying the one‑scene constraint.
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Description
Shows the parabola y equals x squared, then displays a base point and a moving point that form a secant line. As the moving point approaches the base point, the secant transforms into a solid tangent line, illustrating the limit process. The derivative formula appears, followed by the graph of the derivative line y equals 2x alongside the original curve. The animation ends with a branded outro displaying the page name and tagline.
Created At
Feb 8, 2026, 09:08 AM
Duration
0:42
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