Faculty of Engineering - Preparatory Year

Module Title: Calculus1

Sheet No.: 3
Sheet Title: The Derivative

Problem 1: (Tangent Lines & Rates of Change)

a) For the following functions:

f(x) = x2; P(-2, 4)

f(x) = 3 x ; P(-8, -2)
1
f(x) = 1/x2; P(2, )
4
1- Find the slope of the tangent line to the graph of f at Q(a, f(a)) , a: any real number.
2- Find the slope of the tangent line to the graph of f at P.
3- Find an equation for the tangent line at P.
4- Sketch the graph and the tangent line at P.
5- Find the point on the graph at which the slope of the tangent line is the given number m.
m = 6 and, m = 9

b) Find values of x in which the tangent line to the following function is horizontal:
y = cos(2 x) + 2 cos( x) , Find also equations of the horizontal tangent lines.
c) Find an equation of the tangent line to the graph of the function y = 1.2 3 x 2 − (0.8 / x ) at
P(1, 0.4).

d) The voltage in a certain electrical circuit is 100 volts. If the current (in amperes) is I and the
resistance (in Ohms) is R, then by Ohm's law, I = 100/R is increasing, find the instantaneous
rate of change of I with respect to R at

1- Any resistance R.
2- Resistance of 20 ohms.

e) The expression P = at + b , with a = 920, b = 151.32, gives a good approximation for the
population P (in millions) of the U.S. during the period 1950-1990, where t = 0 corresponds
to the year 1950. Find the instantaneous rate of change of P with respect to t

1- Any time t.
2- t = 39 (the year 1989)

Problem 2: (Definition of a Derivative)

If f(x) = 3x2 – 12x + 8, using the definition of a derivative find

1- f ′ (x)
2- The domain of f ′ (x)
2- f ′ (4), f ′ (-2), and f ′ (a)
 3- The slope of the tangent line to the graph of this equation at the point P(3, -1)
4- The point on the graph at which the tangent line is horizontal

Problem 3: (Continuity, Differentiability & Differentiability on an Interval)

a) If f(x) = | x |, show that f is not differentiable at 0.

b) If f(x) = x , sketch the graph of f, find f ′ (x), and the domain of f ′ .
c) Determine the nature of the graph of the function f(x) = 1 + x2/3 near the point (0, 1).

d) Is f(x) differentiable over the given interval?

1- f(x) = 1/x [0, 2] [1, 3)
3
2- f(x) = x [-1, 1] [-2, -1)

e) Use the graph of f to determine if f is differentiable on the given interval

1- f(x) = 4 − x [0, 4] [-5, 0]

Problem 4: (Derivative Notations & Higher derivatives)

a) Find the first four derivatives of f(x) = 4x3/2.

4 3 d 2z
b) If z = 64 t , find 2 .
dt

c) For:
10 cos x
f(x) = on -2 ≤ x ≤ 2
x2 + 4
( x − x 2 ) sin x
f(x) = on -1 ≤ x ≤ 4
x2 +1
1
f(x) = sin( x + 1) on 0 ≤ x ≤ 4 π
2

1- Graph the function on the interval.

2- Form the graph, estimate x-coordinates of points where the function is not differentiable
or where it has a horizontal tangent line.

Problem 5: (Techniques of Differentiation)

a) y = ( x 3 + 1 )( 2 x 2 + 8 x − 5 ), find dy/dx.
b) f(x) = x1 / 3 ( x 2 − 3x + 2) , find f ′ (x).
3x 2 − x + 2
c) y = , find f ′ (x).
4x 2 + 5
3 2
t
d) g(t) = , find g ′ (x).
3t − 5
Problem 6: (Derivatives of the Trigonometric Functions)

a) Prove that if: f(x) = cosx, then f ′( x) = -sinx

b) Prove that if: f(x) = sinx, then f ′( x) = cosx
c) Find the derivatives of the following functions:
1 sin x
- g(x) = - y=
sin x tan x 1 + cos x
- y = cos(5 x 3 ) - g(x) = secxtanx
- g(x) = secxcotx
- y = tan 3 (4 x)
1 + sec θ
- y = sin(sin(x)) - h( θ ) =
1 − sec θ

d) Find an equation of the perpendicular line to the following function at (π/4,1): y = tan x
e) Find values of x in which the tangent line to the following function is horizontal: y = sin x ,
Find also equations of the horizontal tangent lines.

Problem 7: (The Chain Rule, Power Rule, Radical Rules)

dy
a) If y = f(u) = u3 & u = g(x)= x2 + 1, Find .
dx
b) Use the chain rule to find dy/dx, and express the answer in terms of x:
- y = 1/u u = 3x − 2
- y = usin(u) u = x3
- y = tan(3u) u = x2
b) Find the derivatives of the following functions:
- y = ( x 5 − 4 x + 8) 7
1
- y=
( 4 x + 6 x − 7) 3
2

- y = 3 5x 2 − x + 4
- y = (2 x + 5) 3 (3x − 1) 4

Problem 8: (Implicit Differentiation)

a) Find the first derivatives y’ of the following functions (w.r.t. x)

1- y 4 + 3 y − 4 x 3 = 5 x + 1
2- y = x 2 sin y
b) Use implicit differentiation to find an equation for the tangent line to the curve 9x2+4y2 = 40
at the point (2,1).
c) Find the first three derivatives y’, y’’, y’’’ of the following function (w.r.t. x): x2+y2 = 1