CALCULUS (3)

Short methods to differentiate Lesson

Learning Outcomes and Assessment Standards
Learning Outcome 2: Functions and Algebra
20
Assessment standard 12.2.7(a)
Investigate and use instantaneous rate of change of a variable when interpreting models of
situations:
• demonstrating an intuitive understanding of the limit concept in the context of approximating
the rate of change or gradient of a function at a point
• establishing the derivative of the following functions from first principles
ƒ(x) = b; ƒ(x) = x2; ƒ(x) = _1x ; ƒ(x) = x; ƒ(x) = x3
and then generalise to the derivative of ƒ(x) = x n.

Overview
In this lesson you will:
● differentiate functions using the rules
● apply the rules to problem solving

Lesson
What did we learning in Lesson 18? DVD
lim __ finds the gradient of the tangent by first principles
ƒ(x + h) – ƒ(x)
●
h→0 h
● The derivative is
the gradient of the tangent
the gradient at a point
the instantaneous rate of change
● ƒ(3) = 4 translated from “maths” to English is, “The gradient of the tangent
when x is 3 is 4.”

Quicker ways to find the derivative

The power rule for differentiation

If ƒ(x) = axn, then ƒ(x) = n·a·xn – 1
That is: the existing power of x comes down and multiplies with the existing
coefficient of x. The new power of x is the old power minus one.
The name of this rule says exactly what we are supposed to do. Write all surds
as powers before attempting to differentiate. Secondly, if there is an x in the
denominator of a fraction, write it as a negative exponent. The rule works with
powers,
_ and thus everything must be expressed in terms of a power. Thus
√x2 becomes x _ before differentiating. Furthermore _ becomes _13x –5 before
3 2 1
3
5
3x
differentiating. Note that for the latter, the 3 remains in the denominator.

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 1. The derivative of a constant
This is the graph of ƒ(x) = 2
What is the gradient at every single point?
so ƒ(x) = 0

Let’s make a rule:

If ƒ(x) = k and k is a constant then ƒ(x) = 0
So we say: The derivative of a constant is zero

Examples
a) If y = 5 then d_
y
dx
=0 this is so because
b) If g(x) = 3 then g(x) = 0 If ƒ(x) = 5, then ƒ(x) = 5.x0
c) _d
dx
(7) = 0 ƒ(x)= 0.5x0 – 1 = 0._1x = 0

2. The derivative of a straight line (linear)

The gradient is 2 everywhere so if
y = 2x
_
dy
=2
dx
The derivative
is nothing other
than the gradient
of a curve.

The gradient is − _12 everywhere so if

y = − _12 x − 1
_
dy
= – _1
dx 2

Examples
a) ƒ(x) = 3x + 5 Solution ƒ(x) = 3
b) s = 4t − 3 Solution _
ds
=4
dt
c) ƒ(x) = −8x + 1 Solution ƒ(x) = −8

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 Now what about ƒ(x) = x2 (quadratic)
ƒ(x) Problem
The gradient changes all the time
+ve when x > 0 → since the graph is
increasing
–ve when x < 0 → since the graph is
decreasing
0 when x = 0 → since the graph is
stationary here

If ƒ(x) = mxn then ƒ(x) = nmxn−1 so

ƒ(x) = x2
ƒ(x) = 2x
ƒ(1) = 2
ƒ(−1) = −2
ƒ(0) = 0

Examples
a) ƒ(x) = x3 Solution ƒ(x) = 3x2
b) y = _2x Solution Write down the function as a power
y = mxn
y = 2x−1
_
dy
= (–1)(2)x–1–1
dx
_
dy
= –2x–2
dx
=_–2
(making the power positive again)
_ b
2
x
_
Solution ƒ(x) = x_12 (write as a power: √n6 = _
a
c) ƒ(x) = √x n) a

_
ƒ(x) = _1 x
1– 1
2
2
ƒ(x) = _12 x
_ −1
2

d [ – _]
d) _
d _
[ ] Solution = _
1
2_
dx √x dx
2x 2

2(– _)x
1 – _1
– 1 –_ 3

2
2 = –x 2

=_–1
x_32
_
= √_ –1
3
x

The derivative of a sum is the sum of the derivatives

Examples
a) If ƒ(x) = x2 − 3x + 4 Solution ƒ(x) = 2x − 3
_
b) If ƒ(x) = x3 – _2 + √x
_1
x Solution ƒ(x) = x3 − 2x−1 + x 2

ƒ(x) = 3x2 + 2x−2 + _12x

_−1
2

= 3x2 + _2 + _
x2
1_
2√x 11

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 c) If y = _3x – _3x find _ Solution y = 3x−1 − _13x
dy
dx
_
dy
= –3x–2 – _1
dx 3
=_
–3 _
x2
–1 3

Test your understanding.

Read questions carefully. The gradient at a point on the
curve, is called the derivative
d) Find the gradient of the
at that point. It is equal to the
tangent to ƒ(x) = x3 − x2 at
gradient of the tangent to the
x=1
curve at that point.
Solution ƒ(x) = 3x2 − 2x
ƒ(x) = 3 − 2
=1
e) At which point on the curve y = x2 − 3x + 1 will the
gradient be −5?

Solution _
dy
dx = –5
y
f(x)

2x − 3 = −5
x = −1
)
1 (a
But we need the point =f
mT
when x = −1
y = (−1)2 − 3(−1) + 1 x

=1+3+1
=5
Point (−1; 5)
f) For which values of x will
the tangent to ƒ(x) = x3 + x2 be parallel to the line g(x) = 5x − 7

Solution
Parallel lines have the same gradients so ƒ(x) = g(x)
3x2 + 2x = 5
3x2 + 2x − 5 = 0
(3x + 5)(x − 1) = 0
x = – _53 or x=1

Examples
Find ƒ(x) if:
a) ƒ(x) = (2x − 1)(3x + 2)
b) ƒ(x) = __
3 2
x – 2x + x – 3
2x2
c) ƒ(x) = _
4
x –1
x–1

Solutions
12 a) Multiply out ƒ(x) = 6x2 + x − 2
ƒ(x) = 12x + 1

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 b) Divide each term by 2x2
ƒ(x) = _ –_ +_ –_
3 2
x 2x x 3
2x2 2x2 2x2 2x2
= _1x – 1 + _1x –1 – _3x –2
2 2 2
ƒ(x) = _1 − _1x −2 + 3x −3
2 2
c) Factorise and cancel common factors
ƒ(x) = (x2 – 1)(x2 + 1)
= ___
2
(x – 1)(x + 1)(x + 1)
(x – 1)
= x3 + x + x2 + 1 (multiply out)
ƒ(x) = 3x2 + 1 + 2x

The derivative is the rate of change

Examples
1. The number of bacteria increases in a culture according to the formula
B = 2t4 − t2 + 2 000 where t is time in hours.
a) Find the number of bacteria initially.
b) The rate at which the number of bacteria is increasing after
5 hours.
Solutions
a) t = 0 ∴ 2 000
b) _
dB
= 8t3 – 2t
dt
After 5 hours: 8(5)3 − 10 = 990 per hour

2. The surface area of a balloon in cm2 is given by s = t3 − 2t2 + 5t + 2 where t is

time in seconds. Find the rate of increase in the balloon’s surface area after 8
seconds.
Solution

_
ds
= 3t2 – 4t + 5
dt
After 8 seconds the rate is 3(64) − 4(8) + 5 = 165 cm2 per second

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 Activity
1. Differentiate with respect to x
a) 3 b) −4 c) 0
d) _1x3
e) _1x f) _x4 _
g) _ h) _ _
4√x 3
3 x_
x 6 √x
i) 2
j) _1x + _2x
2. If s = _ find _ 3. If m = _ find _
2 2
5t – 4t 3
ds (n – 1) dm
t 2
dt n dn 2

4. If ƒ(x) = (3x2 − x)2 find ƒ(x) 5. _ ( x )

d _x –x +1
dx
3 2

6. If s(t) = t0,2 find _ 7. If y = (x + x )2 find _

_ _ 1
dy −1
ds 2 2
dt dx
8. Differentiate tπ with respect to t. 9. If s = _
2t +_1
3√t
find _
ds
dt
_ _
d [ √2 –√2 ]
10. If ƒ(x) = __ _ q +q–q
3 2
x + 3x – 7x + 3
find ƒ(x)
(x – 1)
11. dq
12. _d [( 2
du
u + 1) (u–2 – 1)]
13. Find the gradient of the tangent to y = 1 − 3x2 at x = −1.
14. If ƒ(x) = 2 − 3x − 2x2, at what point on the curve will the gradient of the
tangent be 13?
15. If y = _13x3 + _12x2 – 2x at what point(s) on the curve will the gradient be equal to
0?
16. At which point on the curve will the tangent be parallel to the line
y = −6x + 10 if the curve has the equation y = x2 − 4x + 2.
17. What do you understand by the statement ƒ(2) = 3?
18. Find the values of x when the tangents to ƒ(x) = _13 x3 – x2 – x + 1 are parallel to
the line y = 2x − 10
19. ƒ(x) = x3 + x2 + ax − b
Find the values of a and b if the gradient of the tangent at (1; −2) is 4.
20. The distance a rocket travels in the initial stages of lift-off is calculated using
the formula d(t) = t3. Calculate the speed of the rocket 10 seconds after lift-off.
_
21. The value of an investment is calculated using V(t) = √t3 , where V is the
value and t is the time in years. Calculate the growth rate of the investment
after 9 years.

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