Differentiating using the Chain

Rule

IB SL/HL

Adrian Sparrow

www.ibmaths.com
 Simple differentiation
Differentiate each of the following. Make conjectures for the
differentials of each of the
1. f (x)  (x  3) 2
following.
f (x)  2(x  3)
f (x)  (x  3) n

2. f (x)  (x  3) 3 f (x)  n(x  3) n1

f (x)  3(x  3)2  f (x)  (2x 1)n

f (x)  2n(2x 1) n1

3. f (x)  (2x 1) 3 

f (x)  6(2x 1)2  f (x)  (ax 1) n


f (x)  an(ax 1)n1
4. f (x)  (2x 1) 4
f (x)  8(2x 1)3 
 The chain rule - with brackets

2. y  (2x  4)
3 7
dy dy du
  dy
dx du dx yu 7
 7u 6

du
 du
1. y  (3x  2) 5 u  2x  4 3
 6x 2

dx
yu 5 dy
 5u 4 
du dy  6
 7u  6x 2

u  3x  2 du
3  dx
dx
 dy 
 42x (2x  4)
2 3 6
dy
 15u 4 dx
dx 
dy
 15(3x  2) 4

dx
 Trig functions

 x 2 
dy dy du 2. y  cos 
   2 
dx du dx dy
y  cos u  sin u
1. y  sin3x du

 x 2  du
dy u     x
y  sinu  cos u  2  dx
du  
u  3x du
3 dy
dx   x  sin u
dx 
dy  dy  x 2 
 3cos u  x sin 
dx dx  2 
dy
 3cos 3x
dx
 ln and e
1 5x 2
dy dy du 2. y  e
  5
dx du dx 1 u dy 1 u
y e  e
5 du 5
1. y  ln 4 x 3

dy 1 du
y  ln u  u  5x 2
 10x
du u dx
 
u  4x 3 du
 12x 2
dy 1 u
dx  e 10x
dy 1
 dx 5
 12x 2

dx u dy 2
 2xe 5x

dy 12x 2 dx

 3
dx 4 x
dy 3

dx x

 Questions
Differentiate each of the following.
1. y  (4  2x 3 ) 7 dy
 42x (4  2x )
2 3 6

dx

cos x  f (x)  2sin x cos x

4

2. f (x)   3

2


1 12
3. f (x)   f (x) 
(4 x 1) 3 (4 x 1) 4

dy
4. y  sin(3x 1) 2  6x cos(3x 1)
2

 dx

1 2  3x 2
5. f (x)  f (x) 
e (x 3 2x 1)
 e (x 3 2x 1)