The Derivatives

Session 3-6
 Acknowledgement

These slides have been

adapted from:

Soo.T.Tan. Calculus. 2010.

Brooks/Cole.
ISBN-13: 978-0-534-46579-7

Chapter 2
 Learning Objectives

LO 1 :
Apply the basic concepts of limits and

derivative for some real problems

 Content

• Rules for finding derivatives

1
• The chain rule
2
• Higher order derivatives
3
• Implicit differentiation
4
• Indeterminate form
5

4
The photograph shows a
space shuttle being launched
from Cape Kennedy. Suppose
a spectator watches the launch
from an observation deck
located at a known distance
from the launch pad. If the
speed of the shuttle at a certain
instant of time is known, can
we find the speed at which the
distance between the shuttle
and the spectator is changing?
The derivative allows us to
answer questions such as this.

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 The Derivative

The derivative of a function f with respect to x is the function

f’ defined by the rule

The domain of f’ consists of all values of x for which the limit

exists.

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 Interpretations of The Derivative

Two interpretations of the derivative follow.

1. Geometric Interpretation:
The derivative f’of a function f is a measure of the slope of
the tangent line to the
graph of f at any point
(x,f(x)), provided that the
derivative exists.

2. Physical Interpretation:
The derivative f’ of a
function f measures the
instantaneous rate of
change of f at x.
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 Example 1 (1/3)

Let y = √x
a. Find dy/dx, and determine its domain.

The domain of dy/dx is (0,∞)

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 Example 1 (2/3)

b. How fast is y changing at x = 4?

c. Find the slope and an equation of the tangent line to the graph
of the equation y = √x at the point where x = 4.

The slope m of the tangent line to the graph of y = √x at the

point where x = 4 has the same value as the rate of change of
y with respect to x at x = 4.

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 Example 1 (3/3)

From the result of part (b), we find m = 1/4. Next, when x =

4, y = 2, giving (4,2) as the point of tangency. Finally, using
the point-slope form of an equation of a line, we find

as an equation of the
tangent line.

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 Differentiability

• A function is said to be differentiable at a number if it has a

derivative at that number.

• Loosely speaking, a function f does not have a derivative at

a if the graph of f does not have a tangent line at a, or if the
tangent line does exist, then it is vertical.

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 Example 2 (1/2)

Show that the Heaviside function

which is discontinuous at 0, is not differentiable at 0.

Solution
Let’s show that the (left-hand) limit

does not exist.

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 Example 2 (2/2)

This, in turn, will imply that

does not exist; that is, does not have a derivative at 0. Now

so H’(0) does not exist, as asserted

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 Example 3 (1/2)

Show that the function f(x) = |x| is differentiable everywhere

except at 0.

Solution
To prove that f is not differentiable
at 0, we will show that f’(0) does
not exist by demonstrating that
the one-sided limits of the quotient

as h approaches 0 are not equal.

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 Example 3 (2/2)

First, suppose h > 0. Then |h| = h, so

Next, if h < 0, then |h| = -h, and therefore

Therefore,

does not exist, and is not differentiable at 0.

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 Some Basic Rules

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Some Basic Rules

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 Some Basic Rules

Example 4
The derivative of is

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 Example 5

Find the points on the graph of

f(x) = x4 – 2x2 + 2 where the
tangent line is horizontal.

Solution
At a point on the graph of f where
its tangent line is horizontal, the
derivative of f is zero. So we begin by finding

Setting f’(x) = 0 giving x = -1, 0, or 1. Substituting each of the

numbers into f(x) gives the points (-1,1), (0,2), and (1,1) as the
required points.

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 The Product and Quotient Rules

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 Example 6

Suppose that g(x) = (x2+1)f(x) and it is known that f(2) = 3

and f’(2) = -1. Evaluate g’(2).

Solution
Using the Product Rule, we find

Therefore,

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 Example 7: Rate of Change of
DVD Sales (1/3)

The sales (in millions of dollars) of a DVD recording of a hit

movie years from the date of release are given by

a. Find the rate at which the sales are changing at time .

b. How fast are the sales changing at the time the DVDs are
released (t = 0)? Two years from the date of release?

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 Example 7: Rate of Change of
DVD Sales (2/3)

Solution
a. The rate at which the sales are changing at time t is given
by S’(t). Using the Quotient Rule, we obtain

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 Example 7: Rate of Change of
DVD Sales (3/3)

b. The rate at which the sales are changing at the time the
DVDs are released is given by

That is, they are increasing at the rate of $5 million per

year.
Two years from the date of release, the sales are
changing at the rate of

That is, they are decreasing at the rate of $600,000 per

year. The graph of the function is shown in Figure 3.

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 Higher-Order Derivatives

Notations for the first, second, third, and in general, the nth
derivative of f are

or

or

respectively

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 Example 8: The Velocity of
Exploding Fireworks (1/3)

In a fireworks display, a shell is launched vertically upward

from the ground, reaching a height (in feet) of
s = -16t2 +256t
after t sec. The shell is designed to burst when it reaches its
maximum altitude, simultaneously igniting a cluster of
explosives.

a. At what time after the launch will the shell burst?

b. What will the altitude of the shell be at the instant it
explodes?

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 Example 8: The Velocity of
Exploding Fireworks (2/3)

Solution
a. At its maximum altitude the velocity of the shell is zero.
But the velocity of the shell at any time t is

which is equal to zero when . Therefore, the shell will

burst 8 sec after it has been launched.

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 Example 8: The Velocity of
Exploding Fireworks (3/3)

The altitude of the shell at the instant it explodes will be

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 Derivatives of
Trigonometric Functions

29
 Derivatives of
Trigonometric Functions

30
 Example 9

Differentiate y = (sec x)(x + tan x)

Solution

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 Simple Harmonic Motion

Suppose that a flexible spring is attached vertically to a rigid

support. If a weight is attached to the free end of the spring, it
will settle in a certain equilibrium position. Suppose that the
weight is pulled downward (a positive direction) and released
from rest from a position that is 3 units below the equilibrium
position at time.
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 Example 10 (1/3)

Suppose that for a particular spring and weight, the motion is

described by the equation
s = 3 cos t, t≥0

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 Example 10 (2/3)

a. Find the velocity and acceleration functions describing

the motion.

Solution
Respectivelly, the velocity and the acceleration of the weight
at any time t > 0 are

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 Example 10 (3/3)

b. Find the values of when the weight passes the equilibrium

position. What are the velocity and acceleration of the
weight at these values of t?

Solution
When s = 0, the weight is at the equilibrium position. Solving
the equation
s = 3 cos t = 0
we see that the required
values of t are t = π/2 + nπ,
where n = 0,1,2,....

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 The Derivatives of
Logarithmic Functions

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 Example 11

Find the derivative of

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 The Derivatives of
Exponential Function

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 Example 12

Find the derivative of

Solution

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 Example 13

Find the derivative of

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The Chain Rule

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 Example 14

Find dy/dx if y = tan3(3x2 + 1)

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 Example 15: Path of Boat (1/2)

A boat leaves the point

(the origin) located on
one bank of a river
traveling with a constant
speed of 20 mph and
always heading toward
a dock at the point ,
which is directly due east
of the origin (see Figure).
The river flows north at a constant speed of 5 mph. It can be
shown that the path of the boat is

Find dy/dx when x =100 and when x = 900. Interpret your results.
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 Example 15: Path of Boat (2/2)

Solution
We find

So,

This tells us that at the point x = 100, the boat is drifting north
at the rate of 0.22 ft per ft in the x-direction. Where x = 900,
the boat is drifting south at the rate of 0.32 ft per ft in the x-
direction.
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 Implicit Functions

Sometimes, however, a function is defined implicitly by an

equation F(x,y). For example, the equation
(*)
defines y as a function of x. In fact, if we solve the equation
for y in terms of x, we obtain the explicit representation

(**)
Suppose we are given Equation (1) and we wish to find
dy/dx. An obvious approach would be to first find an explicit
representation for the function f, such as Equation (2), and
then differentiate this expression in the usual manner to
obtain dy/dx = f’(x).

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 Implicit Differentiation (1/2)

How about the equation

whose graph is shown in Figure? The

Vertical Line Test shows that the
equation does not define y as a function
of x. But with suitable restrictions on x and y, the Equation
does define y as a function of x implicitly.

So how do we go about computing dy/dx in this case?

Implicit differentiation 46
Implicit Differentiation (2/2)

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 Example 16 (1/2)

Find dy/dx if y4 – 2y3 +x3y2 – cos x = 8

Solution
Differentiating both sides of the given equation with respect to
x, we obtain

where we have used the Product Rule to differentiate the term

x3y2
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 Example 16 (2/2)

Next, recalling that y is a function of x, we apply the Chain

Rule to the first three terms on the left, obtaining

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 Example 17 (1/4)

Water is poured into a conical funnel at the constant rate of 1

in.3/sec and flows out at the rate of in.3/sec. The funnel is a
right circular cone with a height of 4 in. and a radius of 2 in. at
the base.

How fast is the water level changing when the water is 2 in.
high?
 Example 17 (2/4)

Solution
Step 1
Let V = the volume of the water in the funnel
h = the height of the water in the funnel
r = the radius of the surface of the water in the funnel
at any time t (in seconds).

Step 2
We are given that

and are asked to find dh/dt when h = 2

 Example 17 (3/4)

Step 3
The volume of water in the funnel is

but we need to express V in terms of h alone. To do this, we

use similar triangles and deduce that

Substituting this value of r into the expression for V, we

obtain
 Example 17 (4/4)

Step 4
Differentiating this last equation implicitly with respect to t,
we obtain

Step 5
Finally, substituting dV/dt = ½ and h = 2 into this equation
gives

and we see that the water level is rising at the rate of 0.159
in./sec.
 Indeterminate Forms 0/0

If and , then the limit

is called an indeterminate form of the type 0/0.

As the name implies, the undefined expression does not

provide us with a definitive answer concerning the
existence of the limit or its value, if the limit exists.

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 Indeterminate Forms ±∞/ ± ∞

If and , then the limit

is said to be an indeterminate form of the type ∞/∞, ∞/-∞, -

∞/∞, or -∞/-∞.

To see why this limit is an indeterminate form, we simply

write

which has the form 0/0 and, therefore, is indeterminate.

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 L’Hopital’s Rule

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 Example 18

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 Example 19

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 Indeterminate Forms ∞ - ∞
and 0. ∞

If and then the limit

is said to be an indeterminate form of the type ∞ - ∞. An

indeterminate form of this type can often be expressed as
one of the type 0/0 or ∞ / ∞ by algebraic manipulation.

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Example 20

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 The Indeterminate Forms
00, ∞0, and 1∞

The limit

is said to be an indeterminate form of the type:

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 Dale Varberg, Edwin Purcell, Steve Rigdon. 2007. Calculus.
Prentice Hall. ISBN: 978-0132306331.

Soo.T.Tan. Calculus. 2010. Brooks/Cole. ISBN-13: 978-0-534-

46579-7

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