Differentiation - first principles and gradients IB SL/HL

1 Differentiate each of the following with respect to x.

a) y = 5x 2 − 6x −1

b) y = 3x −2 − 6x −1 + 3

€ x2
c) y= + 3x − 9
4
€
d) y = ( x -1)(x − 4)

€ 1 6
y= +
e) 2x 3

€ ( x)
f) y =5 4x + 3 x

2 € Find f ′(x) if,

a) f (x)= 3x 2 + 5x − 6

€ b) f (x)= 4 x 2 − 3x −3 + x

€ 1
c) f (x)= 4 x 3 − .
x
€
d) f (x)= ( x ) + 41x − 5.
€
3
e) f (x)= ( x -1)
€ 1 4
f) f (x)= 2
+
4x x
€

3 € Find the gradient of the curve at the given x-value.

a) y = x 4 − 5x 2 at x = 1.

b) y = 2 x − 5x at x = 4.

€ 6 8
c) y= 4
− 2 at x = 2.
x x
€

www.ibmaths.com
 Differentiation - first principles and gradients IB SL/HL

4 a) Find f ′(1) when f (x)= x 3 + 4 x 2 −10.

1
b) Find f ′(3) when f (x)= .
2x 2
€
3 1
c) Find f ′(4) when f (x)= ( x) + − 4.
2x
€

5 € Find the gradient of the tangent to the curve y = x 2 − 5x + 6, at the

point where x = 5.

€ 6 Given that y = x 2 − 2x −15.

dy
a) Find .
dx
€
dy
b) Find x when = 3.
dx
€
dy
c) Find x when = −2.
dx
€
dy
d) Find x when = 0.
dx
€

7€ A tangent to the function f (x)= x 2 − x −12 is horizontal to the x - axis.

Find the x value where the tangent meets the curve.

www.ibmaths.com
Differentiation - first principles and gradients IB SL/HL

Answers

dy
1 a) = 10x − 6
dx
dy
b) = −6x −3 + 6x −2
dx
€
dy x
c) = +3
dx 2
€
dy
d) = 2x − 5
dx
€
dy −1 9
= −
e) dx 2x 2 5

€ ( x)
dy 5 1
f) = + 2
dx x
€ 3x 3
2 a) f ′(x) = 6x + 5
1
€ 1 −
b) −4
f ′(x) = 8x + 9x + x 2
2
€
1
c) f ′(x) = 12x 2 +
x2
€
1 1
d) f ′(x) = −
2 x 4x2
€
e) f ′(x) = 3x 2 − 6x + 3

€ −1 2
f) f ′(x) = 3
− 3
2x
€ x2

3 a) -6

€ b) -4.5 and -5.5

c) 1.25

4 a) 11
−1
b)
27
c) 1 and -2

www.ibmaths.com
 Differentiation - first principles and gradients IB SL/HL

5 5
dy
6 a) = 2x − 2
dx
5
b) x=
2
€
c) x =0

€ d) x =1

€ 1
7 x=
2
€

www.ibmaths.com