DIFFERENTIATION FORMULAS

Derivative formulas
1.) Derivative of a constant
The derivative of a constant is zero.
𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑐 (horizontal line)
𝑑𝑦
𝑑𝑥
= 0
This result follows from the fact that the slope of a horizontal line is zero. Likewise, since
the constant never changes in value, its rate of change is always zero.

𝑛
2.) Derivative of Power 𝑥
The derivative of the nth power of a function is equal to n times the product of the
(𝑛 − 1)𝑡ℎ power of the function and the derivative of the function.
𝑛
𝑦 = 𝑥
𝑛
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = (𝑥 + ∆𝑥)
𝑛 𝑛−1 𝑛(𝑛−1) 𝑛−2 2 𝑛
= 𝑥 + 𝑛𝑥 ∆𝑥 +
2!
𝑥 (∆𝑥) + ... + (∆𝑥)
𝑛−1 𝑛(𝑛−1) 𝑛−2 2 𝑛
∆𝑦 = 𝑛𝑥 ∆𝑥 + 2!
𝑥 (∆𝑥) + ... + (∆𝑥)
∆𝑦 𝑛−1 𝑛(𝑛−1) 𝑛−2 𝑛−1
∆𝑥
= 𝑛𝑥 + 2!
𝑥 ∆𝑥 + ... + (∆𝑥)
As we pass through the limit as ∆𝑥 → 0, all terms will be zero except the first, i.e.
𝑑𝑦 ∆𝑦 𝑛−1
𝑑𝑥
=lim ∆𝑥 = 𝑛𝑥
∆𝑥 → 0
As a special case of the power formula when 𝑦 = 𝑥, then
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥
= 𝑑𝑥
= 1

1
10 1
Example 1. Find the derivative a.) 𝑦 = 𝑥 , b.) 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 , c.) 𝑦 = 10
𝑥
10
a.) 𝑦 = 𝑥
10 − 1
𝑦' = 10𝑥
9
𝑦' = 10𝑥

b.) 𝑦 = 𝑥 2
1
1 −1
𝑦' = 2
𝑥2
1
1 −2
= 2
𝑥
1
𝑦' =
2 𝑥
 1
c.) 𝑦 = 10
𝑥
−10
𝑦 = 𝑥
−10 − 1
𝑦' = − 10 𝑥
−11
𝑦' = − 10𝑥

3.) Derivative of a Sum and Difference

The derivative of the sum of two or more functions is equal to the sum of their derivation.
Same goes to the difference of two or more functions.

Let 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) = 𝑢 + 𝑣, where u and v are functions of x.

𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = (𝑢 + ∆𝑢) + (𝑣 + ∆𝑣)
∆𝑦 = ∆𝑢 + ∆𝑣
∆𝑦 ∆𝑢 ∆𝑣
∆𝑥
= ∆𝑥
+ ∆𝑥
𝑑𝑦 ∆𝑦 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑣
𝑑𝑥
= lim ∆𝑥
= 𝑑𝑥
+ 𝑑𝑥
∆𝑥 → 0

Example 2. Find the derivative of the following functions:

2 3 7
a.) 𝑦 = 5𝑥 − 4𝑥 − 9𝑥
2−1 3−1 7−1
𝑦' = 5(2)𝑥 − 4(3)𝑥 − 9(7)𝑥
2 6
𝑦' = 10𝑥 − 12𝑥 − 63𝑥

1 1

b.) 𝑦 = 𝑥 2 − 𝑥 3
1 1
1 2 −1 1 −1
𝑦' = 2
𝑥 − 3
𝑥3
1 1
𝑦' = 1 − 2
2
2𝑥 3𝑥 3

3 1
Example 3. Find the derivative of 𝑦 = 𝑥 + 3
𝑥
1 1
3
− 3
𝑦 = 𝑥 + 𝑥
1 1
1 −1 1 − 3 −1
𝑦' = 3
𝑥3 − 3
𝑥
1 1
𝑦' = 2 − 4
3
3𝑥 3𝑥 3

1 1
Example 4. Find the derivative of 𝑦 = 2 + 3
𝑥 𝑥
−2 −3
𝑦 = 𝑥 + 𝑥
−2−1 −3−1
𝑦' = − 2𝑥 − 3𝑥
2 3
𝑦' = − 3 − 4
𝑥 𝑥
4.) Derivative of the Product
The derivative of the product of two functions is equal to the first function times the
derivative of the second plus the second times the derivative of the first.

𝑦 = 𝑢𝑣
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = (𝑢 + ∆𝑢)(𝑣 + ∆𝑣)
∆𝑦 = 𝑢∆𝑣 + 𝑣∆𝑢 + ∆𝑢∆𝑣
∆𝑦 𝑢∆𝑣 𝑣∆𝑢 ∆𝑢∆𝑣
∆𝑥
= ∆𝑥
+ ∆𝑥
+ ∆𝑥
𝑑𝑦 ∆𝑦 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑢
𝑑𝑥
= lim ∆𝑥
= 𝑢 𝑑𝑥
+ 𝑣 𝑑𝑥
∆𝑥 → 0

Formulas on sum and product can be extended to finite number of terms or functions,
𝑑 𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑤
i.e. 𝑑𝑥
(𝑢𝑣𝑤) = 𝑣𝑤 𝑑𝑥
+ 𝑤𝑢 𝑑𝑥
+ 𝑢𝑣 𝑑𝑥

2 3
Example 5. Find the derivative of 𝑦 = (𝑥 + 5) (𝑥 − 7)

2
𝑢 = 𝑥 + 5
𝑢' = 2𝑥
3
𝑣 = 𝑥 − 7
2
𝑣' = 3𝑥

𝑦' = 𝑣𝑢' + 𝑢𝑣'

3 2 2
= (𝑥 − 7)(2𝑥) + (𝑥 + 5)(3𝑥 )
4 4 2
= 2𝑥 − 14𝑥 + 3𝑥 + 15𝑥
4 2
𝑦' = 5𝑥 + 15𝑥 − 14𝑥

5.) Derivative of a Quotient

The derivative of the quotient of two functions is equal to the denominator times the
derivative of the numerator minus the numerator times the derivative of the denominator,
all divided by the square root of the denominator.

𝑢
𝑦 = 𝑣
𝑢 + ∆𝑢
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 𝑣 + ∆𝑣
𝑢 + ∆𝑢 𝑢
∆𝑦 = 𝑣 + ∆𝑣
− 𝑣
𝑢𝑣 + 𝑣∆𝑢 − 𝑢𝑣 + 𝑢∆𝑣
= 2
(𝑣 +∆𝑣)
∆𝑢 𝑑𝑣
∆𝑦 𝑣 ∆𝑥 − 𝑢 𝑑𝑥
∆𝑥
= 2
(𝑣 + ∆𝑣)
𝑑𝑢 𝑑𝑣
𝑑𝑦 ∆𝑦 𝑣 𝑑𝑥 −𝑢 𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑥
= lim ∆𝑥
= 2
∆𝑥 → 0 𝑣
As special case of the quotient formula, when 𝑢 = 𝑐, then
𝑑𝑦 𝑐 𝑐 𝑑𝑣
𝑑𝑥
(𝑣) = − 2 · 𝑑𝑥
𝑣

Example 6. Find the derivative of the following functions:

2
1−𝑥
a.) 𝑦 = 2
1+𝑥
2
𝑢 = 1 −𝑥
𝑢' = − 2𝑥
2
𝑣 = 1 + 𝑥
𝑣' = 2𝑥

𝑣𝑢' − 𝑢𝑣'
𝑦' = 2
𝑣
2 2
(1+𝑥 ) (−2𝑥) − (1−𝑥 )(2𝑥)
= 2 2
(1 + 𝑥 )
3 3
−2𝑥 − 2𝑥 −2𝑥 + 2𝑥
= 2 2
(1 + 𝑥 )
4𝑥
𝑦' = − 2 2
(1 + 𝑥 )

1−2𝑥
b.) 𝑦 = 1+2𝑥

(1+2𝑥)(−2) − (1−2𝑥)(2)
𝑦' = 2
(1+2𝑥)
−2 − 4𝑥 − 2 + 4𝑥
= 2
(1 + 2𝑥)
−4
𝑦' = 2
(1+ 2𝑥)