Chapter 2

The Derivative
Sections 2.7 and 2.8
 Section 2.7
More about Derivatives

•Differentiating Various Independent Variables

•Computing Second Derivatives
•Second Derivatives Evaluated at a Point
•Derivative as a Rate of Change
•Marginal Cost
•Marginal Revenue
•Marginal Profit
 Differentiating Various Independent Variables
Slide
-3
EXAMPLE
Find the first derivative.
T  1  2t   t 3
2

SOLUTION
We first note that the independent variable is t and the dependent variable is T. This is significant
inasmuch as they are considered to be two totally different variables, just as x and y are different
from each other. We now proceed to differentiate the function.

T  1  2t   t 3
2
This is the given function.
dT d

dt dt

1  2t 2  t 3  We begin to differentiate.

 1  2t   t 3
dT d 2 d
Use the Sum Rule.
dt dt dt

 21  2t   1  2t   3t 2
dT 1 d
Use the General Power Rule.
dt dt
 Differentiating Various Independent Variables
Slide
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CONTINUED

 21  2t   2  3t 2
dT 1
Finish differentiating.
dt

 41  2t   3t 2
dT Simplify.
dt

dT
 4  8t  3t 2 Simplify.
dt
 Second Derivatives
Slide
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EXAMPLE
Find the first and second derivatives.
f P   3P  1
5

SOLUTION

f P   3P  1
5
This is the given function.

f P  153P  1
4
This is the first derivative.

f P  
d
dP

dP

 f P   d 153P  14  1803P  13 This is the second derivative.
 Second Derivatives Evaluated at a Point
Slide
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EXAMPLE

Compute the following.

d2
dx2
3 x4
 4 x 2
 x 2

SOLUTION

dy d

dx dx
 
3x 4  4 x 2  12x 3  8 x Compute the first derivative.

d 2 y d  dy  d
dx 2
   
dx  dx  dx
12 x 3
 
8 x  36 x 2

8 Compute the second derivative.

d2y
dx2

 36x 2  8  x2
 362  8  36  4  8  152
2
Evaluate the second derivative at x = 2.
x2
Slide
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The Derivative as a Rate of Change
 The Derivative as a Rate of Change
Slide
-8
EXAMPLE
Let S(x) represent the total sales (in thousands of dollars) for month x in the year 2005 at a certain
department store. Represent each statement below by an equation involving S or S  .

(a) The sales at the end of January reached $120,560 and were rising at the rate of $1500 per month.

(b) At the end of March, the sales for this month dropped to $80,000 and were falling by about $200
a day (Use 1 month = 30 days).

SOLUTION
(a) Since the sales at the end of January (the first month, so x = 1) reached $120,560 and S(x)
represents the amount of sales for a given month, we have: S(1) = 120,560. Further, since the rate
of change of sales (rate of change means we will use the derivative of S(x)) for the month of January
is a positive $1500 per month, we have: S 1  1500.

(b) At the end of March (the third month, so x = 3), the sales dropped to $80,000. Therefore, sales
for the month of March was $80,000. That is: S(3) = 80,000. Additionally, since sales were
dropping by $200 per day during March, this means that the rate of change of the function S(x) was

(30 days) x (-200 dollars) = -6000 dollars per month. Therefore, we have: S  3  6000.
Slide Marginal Cost
-9
 Marginal Cost
Slide
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EXAMPLE
Let C(x) be the cost (in dollars) of manufacturing x bicycles per day in a certain factory. Assume
C(50) = 5000 and C50  45. Estimate the cost of manufacturing 51 bicycles per day.

SOLUTION
We will first use the additional cost formula for manufacturing 1 more bicycle per day beyond the
cost of producing 50 bicycles per day. We already know it costs $5000 to produce 50 bicycles per
day since C(50) = 5000. So we wish to determine how much more, beyond that $5000, it costs to
produce 51 bicycles.

additional cost  Ca  1  Ca   Ca 

C50  1  C50  C50

C51  5000  45

C51  5045

Therefore, we estimate the cost of manufacturing 51 bicycles to be $5045.

Slide
- 11 Marginal Revenue & Marginal Profit
 Marginal Revenue
Slide
- 12
EXAMPLE
Suppose the revenue from producing (and selling) x units of a
product is given by R(x) = 3x – 0.01x2 dollars.
(a) Find the marginal revenue at a production level of 20.

(b) Find the production levels where the revenue is $200.

SOLUTION
(a) Since we are looking for the marginal revenue at a production level of 20, and we
have an equation for R(x), we will simply find R20 .
This is the given revenue function.
Rx   3x  0.01x 2

This is the marginal revenue function.

Rx   3 0.02x
Evaluate the marginal revenue
R20  3  0.0220  2.6 function at x = 20.

Therefore, the marginal revenue at a production level of 20 is 2.6.

 Marginal Revenue
Slide
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CONTINUED
(b) To find the production levels where the revenue is $200 we need to use the revenue function
and replace revenue, R(x), with 200 and then solve for x.

Rx   3x  0.01x 2 This is the given revenue function.

200  3x  0.01x 2 Replace R(x) with 200.

0.01x 2  3 x  200  0 Get everything on the left side of the

equation.
x 2  300x  20,000  0 Multiply everything by 100.

x 100x  200  0 Factor.

x  100, 200 Solve for x.

Therefore, the production levels for which revenue is $200 are x = 100
and x = 200 units produced.
 Section 2.8
The Derivative as a Rate of Change

•Average Rate of Change

•Instantaneous Rate of Change
•Approximating the Change in a Function
Slide
- 15
Average Rate of Change
 Average Rate of Change
Slide
- 16
EXAMPLE

Suppose that f (x) = -6/x. What is the average rate of change of f (x) over the
interval 1 to 1.2?

SOLUTION
The average rate of change over the interval 1  x  1.2
is

6  6
  
1.2  1   5  6 1
   5.
1.2  1 0.2 0.2
Slide
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Instantaneous Rate of Change
 Instantaneous Rate of Change
Slide
- 18
EXAMPLE
Suppose that f (x) = -6/x. What is the (instantaneous) rate of change of
f (x) when x = 1?

SOLUTION

The rate of change of f (x) at x = 1 is equal to f 1. We

have
f  x  
6
x2

f 1 
6 6
2
  6.
1 1
That is, the rate of change is 6 units per unit change in x.
 Average & Instantaneous Rates of Change
Slide
- 19
EXAMPLE
Refer to the figure below, where f (t) is the percentage yield (interest rate) on a 3-month T-bill (U.S.
Treasury bill) t years after January 1, 1980.
(a) What was the average rate of change in the yield from January 1, 1981 to January 1, 1985?
(b) How fast was the percentage yield rising on January 1, 1989?
(c) Was the percentage yield rising faster on January 1, 1980 or January 1, 1989?
 Average & Instantaneous Rates of Change
Slide
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CONTINUED

SOLUTION
(a) To determine the average rate of change in the yield from January 1, 1981 to January 1,
1985, we must first determine the coordinates of the two points that correspond to the two
given dates. They are (1, 14) and (5, 7). Now we use the average rate of change formula.
f 5  f 1 7  14 7
 
5 1 5 1 4
Therefore, the average rate of change in the yield from January 1, 1981 to January 1, 1985 is -7/4.

(b) To determine how fast the percentage yield was rising on January 1, 1989, we must determine
the instantaneous rate of change of f (t) when t = 9 (corresponding to January 1, 1989). This means
that we must find the slope of the tangent line to the graph of f (t) where t = 9. The tangent line is
on the graph and so we need only determine any two points on the tangent line. Using the
coordinates of these two points, we will calculate the slope of the tangent line and that will be the
instantaneous rate of change that we seek.

Notice that two of the points on the tangent line are (5, 5) and (11, 10). Using these points we will
now calculate the slope of the tangent line.
 Average & Instantaneous Rates of Change
Slide
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CONTINUED
10  5 5

11  5 6

Therefore, the rate at which the percentage yield was rising on January 1, 1989 was 5/6.

(c) To determine if the percentage yield was rising faster on January 1, 1980 or January 1, 1989, we
would need to know the slopes of the tangent lines corresponding to t = 0 (January 1, 1980) and
t = 9 (January 1, 1989). Although we already have this information for t = 9 (see part (b)), we do
not yet have this information for t = 0. Therefore, we would first need to draw a tangent line to the
graph corresponding to t = 0. This is done below.
 Average & Instantaneous Rates of Change
Slide
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CONTINUED

Obviously, finding the coordinates of two points on this tangent line might prove a little difficult.
However, notice that the slopes of the two tangent lines (all we’re really interested in are their
slopes) are not remotely similar (that is, the tangent lines are not close to being parallel). Therefore,
in this circumstance, it would be sufficiently appropriate to notice that the blue tangent line
(corresponding to t = 0) has a steeper slope and therefore the rate of change was greater on January
1, 1980 than it was on January 1, 1989.
 Approximating the Change in a Function
Slide
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 Approximating the Change in a Function
Slide
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EXAMPLE

Suppose 5 mg of a drug is injected into the bloodstream. Let f (t) be the amount present in the
bloodstream after t hours. Interpret f (3) = 2 and f 3  0.5 . Estimate the number of milligrams
of the drug in the bloodstream after 3½ hours.

SOLUTION
First, f (3) = 2 means that after 3 hours, 2 milligrams of the drug still remain in the bloodstream.

Next, f 3  0.5 means that after 3 hours, the rate at which the amount of the drug is diminishing
(because of the minus sign) within the bloodstream is ½ of a milligram per 1 hour.

To estimate the number of milligrams of the drug in the bloodstream after 3½ hours, we will use
the formula f a  h  f a   f a  h where a = 3 and h = ½ .

f a  h  f a   f a  h

 1
f  3    f 3  f 3 
1
 2 2

f 3.5  2  0.5 
1
2
 Approximating the Change in a Function
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CONTINUED

f 3.5  2  0.25
f 3.5  1.75

Therefore, approximate number of milligrams of the drug in the bloodstream

after 3½ hours is 1.75.