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NAME DATE BAND

PRODUCT RULE: WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IT
CALCULUS | PACKER COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE

We learned and by learned, I mean your teacher told you that if you have the product of two functions,
( ) ( ) y f x g x = , then we know the derivative is:
' '( ) ( ) '( ) ( ) y f x g x g x f x = +
Now lets think about what this means. We are saying that

the rate of change of the entire product
=
(the rate of change of the 1st fxn)(the 2nd fxn)+(the rate of change of the 2nd fxn)(the 1st fxn)

I hope to give you three ways to understand it. First, a conceptual reason why you should believe its true.
Second, some concrete examples to show you how it already works with what you know. And third, an algebraic
proof using the formal definition of the derivative.

Section 1: A conceptual understanding

Let us imagine a scenario where a product is a natural thing. Lets imagine that you are investing in a stock
which is changing its price over time. Let ( ) f t be the number of shares of stock you have at time t , and let
( ) g t be the price of each share at time t .

The total value of your portfolio at time t is _____________________________.

Lets imagine you want to see how the value of your stock is changing over time. There are twothings that
affect it. You have the number of shares of stock you have, which can increase or decrease over time depending
on if you buy or sell. And you have the price of the stock, which changes with the market.

Lets imagine you are investing in Apple.


You buy 400 shares of the stock at $556.

The total value of your portfolio is

____________________________.


A minute later, you realize you want just a bit more stock. You
buy 10 more shares of stock. However the price of the stock is
now $560. The total value of your portfolio is

____________________________.


Now remember what our goal was it was to find the rate of change of the value of your portfolio. I am going
to argue, graphically, that the rate of change of the value of your portfolio is going to be:

(the ROC of the number of shares of the stock)(the price of the stock)
+
(the ROC of the price of the stock)*(the number of shares of stock)
+
atinytinytinytinytinybitthatwontreallymatter

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Lets look at whats going on graphically

At the beginning












One minute later

Now look at '( ) '( ) ( ) '( ) ( ) ValueOfPortfolio t f t g t g t f t = +

That tiny tiny tiny amount is something we wont worry about. For derivatives, we are talking about taking two
points which are infinitessimaly close to each other, meaning the time interval is infinitely short. Right now our
interval is 1 minute. It turns out that when you look at things rigorously (which we will do with the proof below),
that the tiny tiny tiny amount will go to zero. Limits, and all that.

This is not a rigorous proof. But it suggests in a conceptual way why the derivative of the product of two
functions has the form it has.

Section 2: Concrete Examples

We are going to find a few derivatives both with and without the product rule. You will see that the product rule
matches what we expect it to be.

Find the derivative without the product rule Find the derivative with the product rule (underline
the first part of the product and the second part of the
product)
( )( )
5 2
( ) 5 a x x x =
( )( )
5 2
( ) 5 a x x x =






( ) b x x x =





( ) b x x x =




3
( ) 2
x
c x e =






( ) 2
x
c x e =
3 5
( ) (2 )( ) d x x x x x = +






3 5
( ) (2 )( ) d x x x x x = +
2
( ) 6 j x x =
2
( ) 6 j x x =





( ) (2)(6) k x = ( ) (2)(6) k x =






Hopefully you see for the functions above that the product rule works. And hopefully you see that for these
functions, the product rule isnt faster or more useful than what we already know.

So why might we want the product rule? Try to find the derivative of the functions below without the product
rule and youre in trouble! Do you see why? So use the product rule and find the derivatives!

3
( ) ( 2 )
x
m x x x e = +





( )
x x
n x e e =
2
( ) sin( ) p x x x = [and Im letting you know that the
derivative of sin( ) x is cos( ) x ]





( )
2
( ) sin( ) q x x =
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Section 3: An Algebraic Proof

For the following, write down the reason you are allowed to do each step. Be as clear as possible.

Let ( ) ( ) y f x g x = .

Then to find ' y we need two points infinitely close to each other. They are:

________________________ and __________________________.

Thus ' y =
0
0
0
0
0
( ) ( + ) ( ) ( )
lim
( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) ( )
lim
( )[ ( ) ( )] ( )]
lim
( )[ ( ) ( )] ( )]
( ) ( ) ( )
( )[ ( )
( )
lim
( )[ ( ) ( )]
[ ( )
lim
h
h
h
h
h
f x h g x f x g x
h
f x h g x h f x h f x g x
h
f x h g x h g x f x
h
f x h g x h g x f
h
g x f x h g x
g x f x h
g x f x h x
h h
f x h g x h g x
h

+ +
+ +
+ |
+
+ + +
|
+ +
+ +
+
+
+
|
\ .
+
0
0 0 0 0
0 0
( )[ ( )
[ ( ) ( )
[ ( ) ( )
( ) [ ( ) [ ( )]
or equival
( )]
lim
[ ( ) ( )] ]
lim ( ) lim lim ( ) lim
[ ( ) ( )] ]
( ) lim ( )
ently: [ ( )] ( ) [
lim
(
] ( )
h
h h h h
h h
f x
h
g x h g x
f x h g x
h h
g x
g x f x h
f x h f x
h g x
f x g x
h h
f x h f x
d d
f x g x f x
dx dx
f
g x
d d
dx dx
x g x g x

+
+
+

+
+
+
+ +
+
+
)] ( ) f x





Sum rule for limits (the limit of
a sum is the sum of the limits)
Product rule for limits (the limit
of a product is the product of the
limits)
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Practice with the Product Rule Graphically/Conceptually

1. Below is a graph of ( ) p x and ( ) q x . Let ( ) ( ) ( ) r x p x q x = , which is not graphed.



(a) '(0) ____ p = and '(0) ____ q =

(b) '(0) r =




(c) '(2) r =



(d) '( 2.5) r =



(e) Find the equation of the tangent line to
( ) r x at 2 x = .






2. Suppose '(2) 4, '(2) 3, (2) 1, f g f = = = and (2) 1 g = . Find the derivative at 2 x = of the following
functions:

(a) ( ) ( ) ( ) s x f x g x = +



(b) ( ) ( ) ( ) p x f x g x =



(c) Find the equation of the tangent line to ( ) p x at 2 x = .






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3. Let ( ) ( ) ( ) h x f x g x = where the graphs of ( ) f x and ( ) g x are below.


(a) Evaluate ( 2) h and (3) h .



(b) Estimate '( 2), '(3), '( 2), '(3) f f g g





(c) Evaluate '( 2) h and '(3) h .