Holmesglen Institute of TAFE Calculus(VBP234)

1.5 Applications of Differentiation

We use the first and second derivatives of a function to determine the

shape of its graph between plotted points. The first derivative tells where
the graph rises and falls and the second derivative tells where the graph is
concave up and concave down. Many graphs tend to straighten out as x
becomes numerically large or approaches selected real values, and we
study this phenomenon as well. We then solve the problem of finding
the maximum and minimum values of a differentiable function, a
problem as current today as when it helped motivate the development of
calculus three hundred years ago. We also see how the relation between
two variables determine the relation between their rates of change. With
relationships like these, we can tell how fast two ships are drawing apart
or how fast the radius of a soap bubble will grow as the bubble is inflated.

(1) Tangent and normal lines

The tangent and normal lines to the cuve of y = f(x) at the point [x 1, y1]
can be calculated using the following pieces of information:

 The slope of the tangent line at the point [x1, y1] is f ' ( x1 ) .

(y - y1) = f ' ( x1 ) (x - x1)

1
 The slope of the normal(perpendicular) line at the point is - .
f ' ( x1 )
1
(y - y1) = - (x - x1)
f ' (x1 )

 Both lines pass through the point [x1, y1].

TIP : The word normal

When analytic geometry was developed in the seventeenth century, European scientists still wrote
about their work and ideas in Latin, the one language that all educated Europeans could read and
understand. The word normalis, which scholars used for “perpendicular” in Latin, became normal
when they discussed geometry in English.

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B(x2, y2)
A(x1, y1)

P(x, y)

A(x1, y1) B(x2, y2)

1. The distance between the points A(x1, y1) and B(x2, y2) is:

AB = ( x2  x1 ) 2  ( y2  y1 ) 2

2. The gradient, m of a straight line joining the points (x1, y1)and

(x2, y2) is:

y 2  y1
m=
x 2  x1

3. The equation of a straight line passing through a fixed point (x1, y1)
and having a gradient m is:

Let P(x, y) be any point on the straight line.

y  y1
So: m =
x  x1
i.e. y –y1 = m(x – x1)

4. If two straight lines are parallel , their gradient are equal.

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5. If two straight lines are perpendicular, the product of their gradient

is –1

y
B
C

1 2 x

B
A

AB, whose gradient is m1, cuts CD, whose gradient is m2, at right angles.

tan A  tan B tan A  tan B

tan (A + B) = , tan(A - B) =
1  tan A tan B 1  tan A tan B

m1 = tan 1
m2 = tan 2
2 = 90o + 1

 tan 2 = tan (90o + 1)

1
=-
tan  1

1
i.e. m2 =- i.e. m1m2 = -1 (m1  0, m2  0 )
m1

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6. To find the angle between two intersecting straight lines, find the
angle that each line makes with the positive direction of the X-axis
and then subtract the smaller angle from the larger angle.

y
B
C
P


1 2 x

B
A

 is the magnitude of the angle between the two lines.

 = 2 - 1 [  + 1 + (180 - 2) = 180 ]

1 and 2 can be found from the gradients of the lines.

Or:  = 2 - 1

 tan  = tan (2 - 1)

tan  2  tan  1
=
1  tan  2 tan  1
m m
= 2 1
1  m1m 2

Similarly, to find the angle at which two curves intersect, find the angle
between the tangents to the curves at the point of intersection, P.

e.g.  Find the tangent and normal lines to the cubic y = x3 at the
point corresponding to x = -1.

 2
y ' = 3x so at x =-1 the slope of the tangent line is
y ' (-1) = 3.The equation of the tangent line is then y = 3x + c.
To determine c we use the fact that the line passes through
(-1, -1), then -1 = 3(-1) + c, so c = -1 + 3 = 2, and

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 The slope of the normal line is the negative of the reciprocal

1
of the slope of the tangent line, that is, - . Then the
3
1
equation of the normal line is y = - x + c. To determine
3
c we make the substitution x = -1 and y = -1 to obtain -1 = -
1 4
(-1) + c, then c = - and the equation of the normal line is
3 3
1 4
y=- x- .
3 3

y = 3x + 2

(-1, - 1)

1 4
y=- x
3 3

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e.g 1 Find the equations of the tangent and normal to the parabola
y = 4x – x2 at the point where x = 3.

e.g 2 Find the equation of the tangent to the curve y = x3 – 3x2 – x + 1 at

the points on the curve where the tangent is parallel to the line
y – 8x = 5.

e.g 3 Find the equation of the tangent and normal to the curve y = x at
the point on the curve where x = 4.

e.g 4 Find the points of intersection of the curves with equations

y = x2 – 2x and y = 4x – x2, and the angle between the curves at the
point to the right of the origin at which they intersect.

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(2) Maxima and Minima

Turning points of a function

Let us now return to functions and differentiation.

Consider the function y = x3 - 3x2 - 9x + 20. The graph of this function

passes through the following points:

x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
y -7 18 25 20 9 -2 -7 0 25

Sketch this function on the Cartesian plane.

Now, differentiate y = x3 - 3x2 - 9x + 20 with respect to x.

dy
= 3x2 - 6x - 9
dx

The graph of this function passes through the points:

x -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5
y 36 15 0 -9 -12 -9 0 15 36

Sketch this function on the Cartesian plane below.

We started with the function y = x3 - 3x2 - 9x + 20. Then, by

dy
differentiation, we obtained = 3x2 - 6x - 9. Now differentiate y
dx

d 2y
= 6x - 1
dx 2

We will sketch this graph.

This careful preparation should lead you to discover some important

dy d 2 y
features of the functions. You can check the graph y, , in Figure
dx dx 2
below.

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[ Figure ]

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dy d 2y
The x - intercepts for the graph of , and the graph of 2 correspond
dx dx
to three important points on the graph of y = x3 - 3x2 - 9x + 20.

dy
The x - intercepts for the graph of = 3x2 - 6x - 9 correspond to a PEAK
dx
and a VALLEY of y = x3 - 3x2 - 9x + 20.

d 2y
The x - intercept for the graph of = 6x - 6 corresponds to the point
dx 2
where the direction of the gradient of the graph of y = x3 - 3x2 - 9x + 20.
reverses.

dy d 2y
What other features of the and 2 graphs are related to the graph of
dx dx
y?

dy
y - peak, at ( -1, 25 ), occurs when =0
dx
dy
y - valley, at ( 3, -7 ), occurs when = 0
dx
d 2y
y - peak, at ( -1, 25 ), occurs when 2  0
dx
d 2y
y - valley, at ( 3, -7 ), occurs when 2  0
dx

d 2y
What is the significance of 2 = 0 ?
dx
2
d y dy
When 2 = 0, has a valley, and the point ( 1, 9 ) of y is a POINT of
dx dx
INFLECTION.

On the set of axes sketch the graph of y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 7,

dy d 2y
and 2
dx dx

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Determine the maximum value for y = 16 + 5x - 3x2

dy
Sol) If y = 16 + 5x - 3x2, find .
dx
dy
= 5 - 6x.
dx
dy
At a turning point, =0
dx
that is, 5- 6x = 0
6x = 5
5
x=
6

5
Substitute x = in y = 16 + 5x - 3x2 :
6
5 5
y = 16 + 5( ) - 3( )2
6 6
1
=18 .
12

d 2y dy
Find 2
from = 5 - 6x :
dx dx
d 2y
= -6
dx 2
1
the maximum value for y = 18 .
12

Determine the minimum value for y = x2 - 8x + 12.

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Determine the point of inflection for:

y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 5

Sol)
d 2y
Find .
dx 2
dy
= 6x2 + 6x - 12
dx
d 2y
= 12x + 6
dx 2
d 2y
For a point of inflection, 2 = 0.
dx
So 12x + 6 = 0
12x = -6
1
x=-
2
1
Substitute x = - in y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 5:
2
1 1 1
y =2(- )3 + 3(- )2 -12(- ) + 5
2 2 2
1
= 11 .
2

1 1
The point of inflection is ( - , 11 ).
2 2

SKETCHING CURVES

When sketching curves on a real number plane, the following points must
be determined:

 y - intercept, where x = 0,
 x - intercept, where y = 0,
dy d 2y
 y - maximum, where = 0 and 2 < 0,
dx dx
dy d 2y
 y - minimum, where = 0 and 2 > 0,
dx dx
2
d y
 point of inflection, where 2 = 0.
dx

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Sketch the curve of y = x3 + x2 - 16x - 16.

Sol)

y - intercept

when x = 0, y = -16

we have located the point ( 0, -16 ).

x - intercept

when y = 0, x3 + x2 - 16x - 16 = 0
Factorise x3 + x2 - 16x - 16:
x = -1, or x = 4, or x = -4

we have located the points ( -1, 0 ), ( 4, 0 ), ( -4, 0 ).

critical points

dy
Find = 3x2 + 2x - 16
dx
dy
Let = 0.
dx
3x2 + 2x - 16 = 0
8
x=- or x = 2
3
8
substitute x = -
3
8 8 8
y = (- )3 + (- )2 - 16(- ) - 16
3 3 3
22
= 14
27

8 22
we have located the point ( - ,14 )
3 27

substitute x = 2
y = (2)3 + (2)2 - 16(2) - 16
= - 36

we have located the point ( 2, -36 )

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d 2y
Find 2 :
dx
d 2y d 2y
= 6x + 2 Let = 0:
dx 2 dx 2

1
6x + 2 = 0, x=-
3
1
substitute x = -
3
1 1 1
y = (- )3 + (- )2 - 16(- ) - 16
3 3 3
16
= -10
27

1 16
The point ( - , -10 ) is a point of inflection.
3 27

8 22
Test the point ( - , -14 ),
3 27
8 d 2y
substitute x = - in 2 = 6x + 2.
3 dx
d 2y 8
2
= 6(- ) + 2.
dx 3
= -14 ( <0 )

8 22
( - , -14 ) is a maximum point
3 27

Test the point ( 2, -36 ),

d 2y
substitute x = 2 in = 6x + 2.
dx 2
d 2y
= 6(2) + 2.
dx 2
= 14 ( >0 )

( 2, - 36 ) is a minimum point

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The graph is sketched below

[ Figure ]

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summary

The points we have located on a graph as PEAKs and VALLEYs are

referred to as:

Turning Points, Critical Points, or Optimum Points

we use Turning Points most commonly.

 MAXIMUM values are peaks and occur

dy d 2y
when = 0 and 2 is negative.
dx dx

 MINiMUM values are valleys and occur

dy d 2y
when = 0 and 2 is positive.
dx dx

 POINTS of INFLECTION occur

d 2y
when = 0. At a point of inflection, the peak of a graph
dx 2
changes to a valley and vice versa.

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