Basic Rules of Differentiation

C OL L EGE OF EN G I N EER I N G
K IN G S A U D U N I V ER S I TY
AL MUZ AHIMIYAH C AMPUS

1
Basic Rules of Differentiation

1. Using the definition of the derivative, can be tiresome. In this lesson we

are going to learn and use some basic rules of differentiation that are
derived from the definition. For these rules, let’s assume that we are
discussing differentiable functions.
1. f '  x 
2. These are two ways to denote derivative
df ( x)
2.
dx
2
 Rule 1: Derivative of a constant

d c 
0 for any constant c
dx
This rule states that the derivative of a constant is zero.

For example,

f ( x)  5
f ' ( x)  0
Note: The constant function is a horizontal
line with a constant slope of 0.

3
 Rule 2: The Power Rule
 
d xn
 nx n 1 , where n is any real number
dx
This rule states that the derivative of x raised to a power is the
power times x raised to a power one less or n-1.

For example,

f x   x 5 f x  x 3

f ' x   5 x 4


f ' x  3x 2

4
Rule 3: Derivative of a Constant Multiple of a Function
d
cf ( x)  c d  f ( x) , where c is a constant
dx dx

This rule states that the derivative of a constant times a function is the constant
times the derivative of the function.

For example, find the derivative of f x   5x 4

d
dx dx
 
 f x   d 5 x 4

5
dx
 
d 4
x

 
 5 4 x3
 20 x 3

5
Rule 4: Derivative of a Sum or Difference

d d d
 f  x   g  x    f ( x)   g ( x)
dx dx dx
This rule states that the derivative of a sum or difference is the sum or
difference of the derivatives.

For example, find the derivative of f(x) = x2 +2x -3

d
dx
 
 f ( x)   d x 2  d 2 x   d 3
dx dx dx
 2x  2  0
 2x  2

6
  
Continue …
f ( x)  x 8  12 x 5  4 x 4  10 x 3  6 x  5
Solution

       
f ' ( x)  x 8  dxd 12 x 5  dxd 4 x 4  dxd 10 x 3  dxd 6 x   dxd 5

       
 x 8  12 dxd x 5  4 dxd x 4  10 dxd x 3  6 dxd  x   dxd 5

81 51 4 1 31 11

 8x  12  5 x  4  4x  10  3x  6 1x 0

 8 x  60 x  16 x  30 x  6
7 4 3 2

7
More Examples: Find d
dx
 x
You’ll notice none of the basic rules specifically mention radicals, so you
should convert the radical to its exponential form, x1/2 and then use the
power rule.

Solution f ( x)  x

 
1
x  x 2

d  12 
f ' ( x)  x 
dx 



1 12 1 1 21
f ' ( x)  x  x
2 2
1 1
f ' ( x)  1

2 x
2x 2
8
Find derivative
 1 
f ( x)   2 
x 

Again, you need to rewrite the expression so that you can use one of the
basic rules for differentiation. If we rewrite the fraction as x-2 ,then we can
use the power rule.

d 1
f ' ( x)   2 
dx  x 

f ' ( x) 
dx
 
d 2
x  2 x 21

3 2
f ' ( x)  2 x  3
x

9
 Find derivative
 4 x3  2 x  7 
f ( x)   
 x 

Rewrite the expression so that you can use the basic rules of differentiation.

4 x3  2 x  7 4 x3 2 x 7
    4 x 2  2  7 x 1
x x x x
Solution
d  4 x3  2 x  7  d

dx 
  
4 x 2  2  7 x 1 
x  dx

d
dx

4x2   d
dx dx

2  d 7 x 1 
 4  2 x  0  7  1x 11
 8 x  7 x 2
7
 8x  2
x

10
APPLICATIONS
Q: The position of a particle is given by the equation st   t 3  6t 2  9t
where t is measured in seconds and s in meters.
(a) Find the velocity at time t.

Solution
s' t   v t   d
dt t 3
 6t 2
 9t 

NOTE: The derivative of

vt   d
dt   dt   dt 9t
t 3
 d
6t 2
 d

  dt   dt  
the position function is
 function.
the velocity vt   d
dt t 3
 6 d
t 2
 9 d
t 1

 vt   3t 31  6  2t 21  9  t 11

vt   3t  12t  9
2

11
Continue …

(b) What is the velocity after 2 seconds?

v(2)  32   122   9

2

v(2)  3m / s

(c) What is the speed after 2 seconds?

v(2)  3m / s
| v(2) | 3m / s

(d) When is the particle at rest?

v  t   3t 2  12t  9
Note: The particle is at 0  3t 2  12t  9
rest when the velocity After 1 second
is 0.
0  3  t  1 t  3 and 3 seconds
velocity will be
t  1, 3 zero

12
Continue …
Q; Find the slope and equation of the following tangent line to the curve at the point (1,3).

y  2x2 1
 Step 1: The derivative gives the slope of the tangent to the curve. So we
will need to find the derivative and evaluate it at x = 1 to find the slope at
the point (1,3).
 Step 2: Then we’ll use the slope and the point to write the equation of the
tangent line using the point slope form.

Step 1
Now, evaluate the derivative at x = 1
dy d

dx dx

2x2 1 
d
dx
  
2 x 2  1
d
dx
to find the slope (m) at (1,3).

 2  2 x 21  0
m  4 1  4
 4x

13
Continue …

Step 2: Start with the point slope form and use the slope, 4 and the point (1,3).

y  y1
m The graph below shows the curve y  2 x 2  1
x  x1
in blue and the tangent line at the point (1,3),
y  y1  m x  x1  y  4 x  1 in red.
y  3  4 x  1
y  3  4x  4
y  4x 1

14
Q1: Find the slope (m) of f (x) at x = 3, x = -2

Solutions f ( x)  3x 2  4 x  7
f ( x)  6 x  4
f (3)  6(3)  4  14
f (2)  6(2)  4  16
Q2: Write the equation of the tangent line at x = -2 for above function
y  y1
Solutions m
x  x1
y  y1  m( x  x1 )

f (2)  3(2)2  4(2)  7  27

y  27  16( x  2)
y  27  16( x  2)
y  16 x  5
15
Continue …
Q: Find all the x values where y  x 3  2 x 2  x has a horizontal tangent line.
Solutions
Step 1: Find the derivative.
d 3
dx
 
x  2 x 2  x  3x 2  4 x  1

Step 2: Since horizontal lines have a slope of 0, set the derivative equal to 0
and solve for x.
3x 2  4 x  1  0
3x  1x  1  0
3 x  1  0 or x  1  0
1
x or x  1
3

Therefore, the x values where the function has horizontal tangents is at x = -1 ,

-1/3.

16
Continue …
Q: Find the horizontal tangents of: y  x4  2x2  2
Solution
y  x4  2x2  2
dy
 4 x3  4 x
dx
Horizontal tangents occur when slope = zero.

4 x3  4 x  0 Plugging the x values into the original equation,

x3  x  0 we get:

x  x 2  1  0
y  2, y  1, y  1
We got two horizontal tangents.
x  x  1 x  1  0
x  0, 1, 1 ( 1,1), (1, 1)

17 
Differentiation Rules: Product Rule
d dv du
 uv   u v
dx dx dx

Example
 
f ( x)  x 3  2 x  5 3 x 7  8 x 2  1 
 
f ( x)  3x 2  2 3x7  8 x 2  1   x 3

 2 x  5 21x6  16 x 
Derivative of Derivative of
the first the second
function function

f ( x)  30 x9  48x7  105x6  40 x4  45x 2  80 x  2

18
Q: Find derivative of the following function

Solution

 
f ( x)  x 2  3 2 x 3  5 x 

f '( x)  x  32d
dx
 3 3 d 2
 2 x  5 x   (2 x  5 x)  x  3
dx

  
f '( x)  x  3 6 x  5  (2 x  5 x)  2 x  0 
2 2 3

 6 x 4  5 x 2  18 x 2  15  4 x 4  10 x 2

f '( x)  10 x 4  33x 2  15

19 
Differentiation Rules: Quotient Rule

du dv
v u
d u dx dx
  
dx  v  v2

Example: Find derivative of the following function

 2 x3  5 x 
f ( x)   2 
 x 3 
Solution

d  2 x3  5 x 
  
    
x 2  3 6 x 2  5  2 x3  5 x  2 x 
dx  x 2  3 
 
2
x 3
2

20
 Q: Find derivative of the following function
3x  5
f ( x)  2
x 2
Solution
Derivative of
the denominator
Derivative of
the numerator

f ( x) 
 
3 x 2  2  2 x  3x  5

x 
2
2
2
3x 2  10 x  6

x 
2
2
2

21
 Q: Find derivative of the following functions

f ( x)  (3x  2 x 2 )(5  4 x)
Solution
2 d d
f ( x)  (3x  2 x ) (5  4 x)  (5  4 x) (3x  2 x 2 )
dx dx
 (3x  2 x )4  (5  4 x)(3  4 x)
2

 24 x 2  4 x  15
5x  2
f ( x) 
Solution x2  1
d d 2
( x  1) (5 x  2)  (5 x  2) ( x  1)
2

f ( x)  dx dx
( x 2  1)2
( x 2  1)5  (5 x  2)2 x (5 x 2  5)  (10 x 2  4 x) 5 x 2  4 x  5
  
( x  1)
2 2
( x  1)
2 2
( x 2  1)2
22
Differentiation Rules: Chain Rule

If h( x)   f ( x)  n, real  then

n

h( x)  n  f ( x)
n 1
 f ( x)
Q: Find derivative of the following function

 
12
f ( x)  3 x  4 x  3 x  4 x
2 2

 
1 1 2
f ( x)  3x  4 x
2
6x  4
2
3x  2
f '( x) 
3x 2  4 x
23
Q: Find derivative of the following function
7
 2x 1 
G ( x)   
 3x  5 
Solution
6 
 2 x  1   3 x  5  2   2 x  1 3
G( x)  7    

3x  5   
2
 3 x  5 

91 2 x  1
6 6
 2x 1  13
G( x)  7   
 3x  5   3x  5 2
 3x  58

24
Q: Find derivative of the following function

y u 52
, u  7 x  3x
8 2

Solution
dy dy du
 
dx du dx
dy 5 3 2
 u  56 x 7  6 x
dx 2
 
Sub in for u

5
   
32
 7 x  3x
8 2
 56 x7  6 x
2
  15 x  7 x  3x 
32
 140 x 7 8 2

25
 Derivatives of Trigonometric functions

d
d
sin x  cos x csc x   csc x  cot x
dx dx
d
d
cos x   sin x sec x  sec x  tan x
dx dx

d d
tan x  sec2 x cot x   csc2 x
dx dx

cosecant θ (csc)is the reciprocal of sine θ

secant θ (sec) is the reciprocal of cosine θ
cotangent θ (cot) is the reciprocal of tangent θ

26 p
 Q: Find derivative of tan(x) by using the quotient rule.

Solution
sin x
tan x  cos 2 x  sin 2 x
cos x f '( x) 
f ( x)  tan x cos 2 x

sin x 1
d( ) 
f '( x)  cos x cos 2 x
dx
f '( x)  sec 2 x
cos x  cos x  sin x    sin x 

cos 2 x

27
Find the derivatives of (a) y = x²sinx (b) y = ln(x²sinx) (c) cos x
y
1  sin x

Solution: Using product rule which we have already studied

(a) y = x²sinx (b) y = ln(x²sinx)

y' 
d
dx
 
ln( x 2 sin x)  
d 2
dx
x sin x 
dy d d 2
 x   sin x   sin x  x
2

dx dx dx  2
1
x sin x
 
 x 2 cos x  2 x sin x

 x 2  cos x  sin x  (2 x) x 2 cos x 2 x sin x

 2 
x sin x x 2 sin x
 x 2 cos x  2 x sin x 
cos x 2

sin x x
2
  tan x
x

28
 cos x
Solution (c) y
1  sin x

Using quotient rule which we have already studied

d d
dy 1  sin x   cos x  cos x  1  sin x 
 dx dx
1  sin x 
2
dx


1  sin x   sin x   cos x(0  cos x)
1  sin x 
2

 sin x  sin 2 x  cos 2 x


1  sin x 
2

1  sin x

1  sin x 
2

1  sin x

1  sin x 

29
 Q: Find the derivatives of the following functions
1
f ( x)  5sin x  sec x  x tan x  7 x 2  3
2
A
1
f ( x)  5cos x  sec x tan x  x sec2 x  tan x(1)  14 x
2

1  sin x
B f ( x) 
x  cos x
d d
( x  cos x) (1  sin x)  (1  sin x) ( x  cos x)
f ( x)  dx dx
( x  cos x)2

( x  cos x)(cos x)  (1  sin x)(1  sin x)

f ( x) 
( x  cos x)2
( x cos x  cos 2 x)  (1  sin 2 x) x cos x  cos 2 x  1  sin 2 x
f ( x)  
( x  cos x) 2
( x  cos x) 2
x cos x
f ( x) 
( x  cos x)2 30
 Higher Order Derivatives
dy
y  is the first derivative of y with respect to x.
dx

dy d dy d 2 y is the second derivative.

y    2
dx dx dx dx (y double prime)

dy
y  is the third derivative.
dx

d
y 
''''
y is the fourth derivative.
dx

31 p
Example of Higher Derivatives

Given f ( x)  3x5  2 x3  14 find f ( x).

f ( x)  15x4  6 x2

f ( x)  60 x  12 x
3

f ( x)  180 x 2  12

32
Continue …
2x 1
Given f ( x)  find f (2).
3x  2

2  3x  2   3  2 x  1 7 2
f ( x)    7  3x  2 
 3x  2   3x  2 
2 2

3 42
f ( x)  14  3x  2   3 
 3x  2  3

42 42 21
f (2)   
 3(2)  2  3
4 32

33
Q: Find y” if y = sec x.

34