Derivatives Review Problems

1. Differentiate with respect to x

(a) 3 - 4x

(b) esin x

(Total 4 marks)

2. Differentiate with respect to x:

(a) (x2 + l)2.

(b) 1n(3x – 1).

(Total 4 marks)

3. Given that f (x) = (2x + 5)3 find

(a) f¢ (x);

(b) ò f ( x)dx.

(Total 4 marks)

4. Consider the function f (x) = k sin x + 3x, where k is a constant.

(a) Find f ¢(x).

p
(b) When x = , the gradient of the curve of f (x) is 8. Find the value of k.
3

(Total 4 marks)

5. Radian measure is used, where appropriate, throughout the question.

3x – 2
Consider the function y = .
2x – 5

The graph of this function has a vertical and a horizontal asymptote.

(a) Write down the equation of

(i) the vertical asymptote;

(ii) the horizontal asymptote.

(2)

dx
(b) Find , simplifying the answer as much as possible.
dy
(3)

(c) How many points of inflexion does the graph of this function have?
(1)

1
 x
6. Let f (x) = e 3 + 5 cos 2x. Find f¢ (x).

(Total 6 marks)

7. Let f (x) = 6 3 x 2 . Find f ¢ (x).

(Total 6 marks)

8. The population p of bacteria at time t is given by p = 100e0.05t.

Calculate

(a) the value of p when t = 0;

(b) the rate of increase of the population when t = 10.

(Total 6 marks)

9. Part of the graph of the periodic function f is shown below. The domain of f is 0 £ x £ 15 and the period
is 3.

f(x)
4

0 x
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(a) Find

(i) f (2);

(ii) f ¢ (6.5);

(iii) f ¢ (14).

(b) How many solutions are there to the equation f (x) = 1 over the given domain?

(Total 6 marks)

10. The function f is given by f (x) = 2sin (5x – 3).

2
 (a) Find f " (x).

(b) Write down ò f ( x)dx .

(Total 6 marks)

11. Let f (x) = (3x + 4)5. Find

(a) f ¢(x);

(b) òf (x)dx.
(Total 6 marks)

12. The table below shows some values of two functions, f and g, and of their derivatives f ¢ and g ¢.

x 1 2 3 4
f (x) 5 4 –1 3
g (x) 1 –2 2 –5
f ¢(x) 5 6 0 7
g¢ (x) –6 –4 –3 4

Calculate the following.

(a) d (f (x) + g (x)), when x = 4;

dx

3
(b) ò (g' ( x) + 6)dx .
1

(Total 6 marks)

2
13. Let f (x) = 3 x .
5x - 1

(a) Write down the equation of the vertical asymptote of y = f (x).

(1)

2
(b) Find f ′ (x). Give your answer in the form ax + bx2 where a and b Î .
(5 x - 1)
(4)
(Total 5 marks)

3
 x–2
14. Consider the function h : x ! , x ¹ 1.
( x – 1) 2

A sketch of part of the graph of h is given below.

A
y

Not to scale

The line (AB) is a vertical asymptote. The point P is a point of inflexion.

(a) Write down the equation of the vertical asymptote.

(1)

(b) Find h′(x), writing your answer in the form

a–x
( x – 1) n

where a and n are constants to be determined.

(4)

2x – 8
(c) Given that h ¢¢ ( x) = , calculate the coordinates of P.
( x – 1) 4
(3)
(Total 8 marks)

15. Let f (x) = (2x + 7)3 and g (x) cos2 (4x). Find

(a) f ′ (x);

(b) g′ (x).

(Total 6 marks)

4
16. (a) Let f (x) = e5x. Write down f ′ (x).

(b) Let g (x) = sin 2x. Write down g′ (x).

(c) Let h (x) = e5x sin 2x. Find h′ (x).

(Total 6 marks)

17. The following diagram shows part of the curve of a function ƒ. The points A, B, C, D and E lie on the
curve, where B is a minimum point and D is a maximum point.

(a) Complete the following table, noting whether ƒ′(x) is positive, negative or zero at the given points.

A B E

f ′ (x)

(b) Complete the following table, noting whether ƒ′′(x) is positive, negative or zero at the given points.

A C E

ƒ′′ (x)
(Total 6 marks)

5
18. Let f (x) = 3 cos 2x + sin2 x.

(a) Show that f ′ (x) = −5 sin 2x.

π 3π
(b) In the interval £x£ , one normal to the graph of f has equation x = k.
4 4
Find the value of k.
(Total 6 marks)

19. The following diagram shows the graph of a function f.

Consider the following diagrams.

Complete the table below, noting which one of the diagrams above represents the graph of

(a) f ′(x);

(b) f ′′(x).

Graph Diagram

(a) f ′ (x)

(b) f " (x)

(Total 6 marks)
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20. The graph of the function y = f (x), 0 £ x £ 4, is shown below.

(a) Write down the value of

(i) f ′ (1);

(ii) f ′ (3).

(b) On the diagram below, draw the graph of y = 3 f (−x).

7
(c) On the diagram below, draw the graph of y = f (2x).

(Total 6 marks)