Chapter 2 Review – Derivatives

1) Find the derivative of f(x) = 1 – x2 using the definition of a derivative.

sec t 1
2) Find the slope of h(t) = at ( , ) .
t 

1 1
3) Write an equation of the normal line to f (x) = x 3x 2 − 2 at (1, ) .
3 3
 
4) If lim f (x) = h where h  R and f(a) = h, which of the following must be true?
x→a
I. lim− f (x) = lim+ f(x) 
x→a x→a
II. f(x) is continuous at x = a
 f(x) is differentiable at x = a
III.


3 − 2x − x 2
5) Find f’(x) of f (x) = .
x2

6) A particle moves along the x-axis. The position of the particle can be calculated
1
 position formula x(t) =
using the ,t  0 . Find the velocity and acceleration for
t
t>0.
7) A car is traveling at a rate of 66 feet per second when the brakes are applied. The
position function of the car is s(t) = -8.25t2 + 66t where s is measured in feet and t is

measured in seconds. Find the average velocity of the car during the time interval
[1,4].

8) At t=0 seconds a ball is thrown from the top of a 32 foot ladder. The position of
the ball is given by s(t) = -16t2 + 16t + 32. What is the velocity of the ball when it
hits the ground? Is this an instantaneous or average velocity?


tan x − tan
9) Evaluate: lim 3.
 
x→
3 x−
3

x2
10) Find the points where the function f (x) = 2 has a horizontal tangent.
 x +1

11) The radius, r, of a sphere is increasing at a rate of 2 inches per minute. Find the
rate of change of the volume when r = 6 inches.

12) A balloon in the shape of a cylinder with hemispherical ends of the same radius
as that of the cylinder is increasing at a rate of 261  cubic centimeters per minute.


 At the instant the radius of the cylinder is 3 centimeters, the volume of the balloon is
144  cubic centimeters and the radius of the cylinder is increasing at the rate of 2
centimeters per minute. At this instant, how fast is the height of the cylinder
4
increasing? (The volume of a cylinder is r 2 h and the volume of a sphere is r 3 .)
3

13) Write an equation of the tangent line to y = (x – 2)2 where x = 2.

dy 1 
14) Find if x = csc 2 .
dx y

d2y
15) Find 2 if y = tan 3 (4 x + 3) .
  dx

16) A ball is thrown straight down from the top of a 220 foot building with an initial
velocity of -22 feet per second. What is the instantaneous velocity when t = 3

seconds if the position function is s(t) = -16t2 – 22t +220.

17) Find the slope of f(x) where x = 1 of the function f(x) = (x2 – 3x + 1)(x + 2).

18) Find the derivative of y = csc 3x + cot 2x.

19) A circle is inscribed in a square such that the sides of the square are tangent to
the circle. The circumference of the circle is increasing at a constant rate of 6 inches
per second. As the circle expands, the square expands to maintain the condition of
tangency. Find the rate at which the perimeter of the square is increasing.

dy
20) Find of x2y + y2x = -2.
dx

21) Use the alternative form of the derivative to find the derivative of f(x) = x2 – 1 at
x=2.

22) A particle moves along the x-axis in such a way that its position for t > 0 is given
1
by s(t) = t 3 − 3t 2 + 8t + 4  5 . At what value(s) of t does the particle change
3
direction?

𝑒3𝑥 +sin 𝑥−1

24) Find f’(x) given that 𝑓(𝑥) = ln[tan(𝑥 2 )].

25) Determine the value(s) of x at which ℎ(𝑥) = (2𝑥 − 1)(𝑥 − 1)3 has a horizontal
tangent line.
26) Write the equation of the line tangent to 𝑓(𝑥) = 3𝑥 3 − ln 𝑥 2 + 1 at x = 1. Use this
equation to approximate the value of f (1.2).

𝑑𝑦
27) Find 𝑑𝑥 for the relation 𝑥2 𝑦 − 2𝑥𝑦2 + 3𝑦 = 4.

28) The equation of the line tangent to f(x) at x = 1 is y = 4x – 5. Find the value of f(1)
+ f’(1).

29) At what value(s) of x is the line tangent to f(x) = x3 – 4x + 1 is parallel to 5x – y + 3

𝑓(𝑥)−𝑓(2)
30) Evaluate lim 𝑥−2
given 𝑓(𝑥) = arctan 𝑥.
𝑥→2

31) The position of a particle is given by the function s(t) = t3 – 6t2 + 9t + 2 for t > 0.
a. At what time(s) does the particle change direction? Justify your answer.
b. What is the position of the particle when the acceleration is equal to 0?

32) The volume of a cube is decreasing at a rate of 10𝜋 cubic meters per hour. At
what rate is the total surface area decreasing when the surface area is 54𝜋 m2?

33) Jerry and Susan leave North Fulton Stadium from the same point at the same
time. Jerry runs due south at 4 miles per hour. Susan runs due west at 3 miles per
hour. At what rate is the distance between them changing after 2 hours?