The Power Rule

 If we are given a power function:

n
f ( x) = x
Then, we can find its derivative using
the following shortcut rule, called
the POWER RULE:
n- 1
f '( x) = nx
An example

 If 5
f ( x)  x

Then,
5 1 4
f '( x)  5 x  5x
Try it on the following examples

 f ( x)  x 2

f ( x)  x

f ( x)  x 3

f ( x)  x 3/ 2
Answers – (You should be able to
fill in the middle steps)

 f ( x)  x 2 f '( x)  2 x

f ( x)  x f '( x)  1

3 4
f ( x)  x f '( x)  3x

3/ 2 1/ 2
f ( x)  x f '( x)  x 3
2
Examples with radicals – (You should
have reviewed power functions first.)

 f ( x)  x

f ( x)  3 x

5 2
f ( x)  x

f ( x)  x x
 Examples with radicals – (Review
negative powers as needed, too.)

f ( x)
 x  x1/ 2 f '( x )  12 x 1/ 2  1
2 x

3 1/ 3 2 / 3
f ( x)  x  x f '( x)  x1
3  1
3 3 x2

f ( x)  5 x 2  x 2 / 5 f '( x )  52 x 3/ 5  2
5 5 x3

f ( x)  x x  x  x1/ 2  x 3/ 2 f '( x )  32 x1/ 2  3

2 x
Examples with fractions.

 1
f ( x) 
x

1
f ( x)  2
x

1
f ( x)  4
x
Examples with fractions.

1 1
f ( x)   x 1 2
f '( x)   x   2
x x

1 2 3 2
f ( x)  2  x f '( x)  2 x   3
x x

1 4
f ( x)  4  x 4 5
f '( x)  4 x   5
x x
The Constant Multiple Rule

 If we are given a function multiplied

by a constant, as follows:
y  c  f ( x)
Then, we can find its derivative as
follows
y '  c  f '( x)
Essentially, we just move the
constant multiple into the derivative.
An Example

 3
f ( x)  4 x
3
f ( x)  4  x
Take the derivative
using the power rule.
2
f '( x)  4  3 x
2
f '( x)  12 x
Now you try a few:

Find the derivatives:

5
f ( x)  2
x

f ( x)  6 x
Answers

Find the derivatives:

5 10
f ( x)  2  5 x 2 3
f '( x)  10 x   3
x x

1/ 2 1/ 2 3
f ( x)  6 x  6 x f '( x)  3 x 
x
The Derivative of a Constant

 Here’s the rule: the derivative of a

constant is zero. Example:
f ( x)  c f ( x)  5
f '( x)  0 f '( x)  0
 Here’s what it means graphically:
y = 5 is a horizontal line with a slope of 0
The straight line most like the line is itself, so the
derivative is the slope of the same horizontal
line. The slope of any horizontal line is 0, so the
derivative of any constant function is always 0.
The Sum Rule

 If we have a function given to us

which is a sum of terms, then we can
find its derivative by taking the
derivative of each of the terms
individually.
Example: f ( x )  x 2  4 x  6
Derivative Derivative Derivative

of x2 is 2x
- of 4x is 4
+ of 6 is 0

f '( x)  2 x  4
Now you try a few:

Find the derivatives:

7 4
f ( x)  5 x  3 x  2 x  1

5 22
f ( x)  x 
x
Answers:
7 4
 f ( x )  5 x  3 x  2x 1 Use the
power rule
on each
f '( x)  35 x 6  12 x 3  2 term.

5 22
f ( x)  x 
x
Rewrite f(x) so that each
term is written as a power
of x.
f ( x)  x 5 / 2  22 x 1
f '( x)  52 x 3/ 2  22 x 2
3 22
f '( x)  5
2 x  2
x
Using the power rule:

Given f ( x)  x , determine the

slope of the line tangent to the
graph at x  4.
Then determine an equation of the
tangent line at the same value.
Graph both.
Using the power rule:

Given f ( x)  x , determine the

slope of the line tangent to the
graph at x  4.
1/ 2
f ( x)  x  x

1/ 2
f '( x)  x1
2  1
2 x

f '(4)  2 4
1
 1
4
Using the power rule:

Given f ( x)  x , determine the

equation of the line tangent to the
graph at x  4.
 Slope is ¼.
 To find the point on the graph:
f (4)  4  2, point is (4, 2).
Find the equation.

Using the format y  mx  b,

substitute for x  4, y  2, m  4.
1

y  mx  b
2  14 (4)  b
2  1 b
1 b equation : y  14 x  1
Using the power rule:

Graph both.
f ( x)  x y  x 1
1
4
Other wording . . .

Another way to ask you to

take the derivative of a
function is to ask you to
differentiate the function.
Another notation.

 Another notation (besides f '( x) ) for the first

derivative is dy
dx
 So, when the text says: “Find the rate of change

dy
x  x0
dx where ” , and they tell you that
f ( x)  x and x0  4
f '(4).
it means to find the derivative when x = 4: