Find the difference quotient of LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x)=- 6 x^{3} + x^{2} - 9 x - 10 .

The difference quotient is LaTeX:  \displaystyle \frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}{h} . Evaluating LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x+h)=- 9 h - 9 x - 6 \left(h + x\right)^{3} + \left(h + x\right)^{2} - 10 and expanding gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle f(x+h)=- 6 h^{3} - 18 h^{2} x + h^{2} - 18 h x^{2} + 2 h x - 9 h - 6 x^{3} + x^{2} - 9 x - 10 Evaluating the difference quotient gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \frac{(- 6 h^{3} - 18 h^{2} x + h^{2} - 18 h x^{2} + 2 h x - 9 h - 6 x^{3} + x^{2} - 9 x - 10)-(- 6 x^{3} + x^{2} - 9 x - 10)}{h} Simplifying gives LaTeX:  \displaystyle \frac{- 6 h^{3} - 18 h^{2} x + h^{2} - 18 h x^{2} + 2 h x - 9 h}{h}=- 6 h^{2} - 18 h x + h - 18 x^{2} + 2 x - 9