CHAPTER 3

SHORT-CUTS TO DIFFERENTIATION
 Section 3.1

Powers and Polynomials

Calculus, 6th edition, Hughes-Hallett et. al., Copyright

2013 by John Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved
Derivative of a Constant Times a Function

Figure 3.1 A function and its multiples:

Derivative of multiple is multiple of derivative

Theorem 3.1: Derivative of a Constant Multiple

If f is differentiable and c is a constant

Calculus, 6th edition, Hughes-Hallett et. al., Copyright

2013 by John Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved
Theorem 3.2:
Derivative of Sum and Difference
If f and g are differentiable, then

Proof using the definition of the derivative:

Calculus, 6th edition, Hughes-Hallett et. al., Copyright

2013 by John Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved
 The Power Rule
For any constant real number n,

Example 1
Use the power rule to differentiate (a) 1/x3 , (b) x1/2 , (c)

Solution
(a) For n = − 3:

(b) For n = 1/2:

(c) For n = − 1/3:

Calculus, 6th edition, Hughes-Hallett et. al., Copyright

2013 by John Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved
Example 6
If the position of a body, in meters, is given as a function of
time t, in seconds, by
s = − 4.9t2 + 5t + 6,
find the velocity and acceleration of the body at time t.

Solution
The velocity, v, is the derivative of the position:
v = ds/dt = − 9.8t +5
and the acceleration, a, is the derivative of the velocity:
a = dv/dt = − 9.8
Note that v is in meters/second and a is in meters/second2.

Calculus, 6th edition, Hughes-Hallett et. al., Copyright

2013 by John Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved
 Finding and Visualizing
Derivatives of Polynomials
Exercise 56
The graph of y(x) = x3 − 9x2 − 16x + 1 has a slope of 5 at two
points. Find the coordinates of the points.
Parabola
Solution 100

(-1,7)5 0 y’(x)
y’(x) = 3x2 − 18x − 16.
Setting 3x2 − 18x − 16 = 5, 4 2 2 4 6 8 10
x
50
3(x2 − 6x − 7) = 0 .
100
So x = 7 or -1.
150
At red points, Cubic 200
the slope of the y(x) 250 (7,-209)
blue graph, y(x), is 5.
Calculus, 6th edition, Hughes-Hallett et. al., Copyright
2013 by John Wiley & Sons, All Rights Reserved