Extra Practice-Derivatives

Example. 1
Find the derivatives of the following functions.

𝑓(𝑥) = √(𝑥 2 + 1)2 + √1 + (𝑥 2 + 1)2

Solution:
Apply the chain rule:
𝑑
√(𝑥 2 + 1)2 + √1 + (𝑥 2 + 1)2
𝑑𝑥
1 𝑑 2
= (𝑥 + 1)2 + √1 + (𝑥 2 + 1)2
𝑑𝑥
2√(𝑥 2 + 1)2 + √1 + (𝑥 2 + 1)2

𝑑 2 2 2 2 2
2𝑥(𝑥 2 + 1)
(𝑥 + 1) + √1 + (𝑥 + 1) = 4𝑥(𝑥 + 1) +
𝑑𝑥 √𝑥 4 + 2𝑥 2 + 2

1 2𝑥(𝑥 2 + 1)
= (4𝑥(𝑥 2 + 1) + )
√𝑥 4 + 2𝑥 2 + 2
2√(𝑥 2 + 1)2 + √1 + (𝑥 2 + 1)2
Simplify:
𝑥(𝑥 2 + 1)(2√𝑥 4 + 2𝑥 2 + 2 + 1)
=
√𝑥 4 + 2𝑥 2 + 2√ (𝑥 2 + 1)2 + √𝑥 4 + 2𝑥 2 + 2
Example. 2
Find a formula for the derivative y’.

𝑓(𝑥) = ln(𝑥3 + 3𝑥) + ln(ln(3𝑥))

′ (𝑥)
3𝑥 2 + 3 1 3
𝑓 = 3 +
𝑥 + 3𝑥 ln (3𝑥) 3𝑥
3𝑥 2 + 3 1
= 3 +
𝑥 + 3𝑥 𝑥ln (3𝑥)
Example. 3

Find the partial derivatives [𝑓𝑥(𝑥, 𝑦) and 𝑓𝑦(𝑥, 𝑦)] for the following function.

2
𝑓(𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑒 𝑥 + 𝑦 2
2 2
𝑓𝑥 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑒 𝑥 +𝑦 . 2𝑥
2 2
= 2𝑥𝑒 𝑥 +𝑦

2 +𝑦 2
𝑓𝑦 (𝑥, 𝑦) = 𝑒 𝑥 . 2𝑦
𝑥 2 +𝑦 2
= 2𝑦𝑒

Example. 4

Find the derivative of the equation 𝑟2 = 𝑦2 + 𝑥2 of a circle using:

a) Explicit differentiation
𝑦2 = 𝑟2 − 𝑥2
Eq.1
𝑦 = ±√𝑟 2 − 𝑥 2
1 −1
𝑦 ′ = ± (𝑟 2 − 𝑥 2 ) 2 (−2𝑥)
2
−𝑥
=±
√𝑟 2 − 𝑥 2

The top semi-circle is represented by positive values, and the bottom semi-circle is represented
by negative values.

b) Implicit differentiation
𝑟2 = 𝑥2 + 𝑦2

𝑑𝑦
0 = 2𝑦 + 2𝑥
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
−2𝑥 = 2𝑦
𝑑𝑥

−2𝑥 𝑑𝑦
=
2𝑦 𝑑𝑥

−𝑥 𝑑𝑦 Eq.2
=
𝑦 𝑑𝑥
 c) Compare both results and comment on the solution.

Both answers are the same. Since 𝑦 = √𝑟 2 − 𝑥 2 (part a), if we plug Eq.1 from part “a” in
𝑑𝑦
equation Eq.2 of part “b”, we will get the same result for 𝑑𝑥 .

The derivative expression for explicit differentiation involves x only while the derivative
expression for implicit differentiation may involve both x and y.

Example. 5

A rectangle has a perimeter of 100 cm. What would the dimensions of the rectangle yielding the
largest area be?

Method 1:
Method 2:
Perimeter of the rectangle
2𝑤 + 2𝑙 = 100
𝑤 + 𝑙 = 50
𝑙 = 50 − 𝑤

Area of the rectangle

Divide the perimeter (100) by the number of sides of a rectangle (4) to know which range of
numbers should be tested for the width that could give us the largest area
100 ÷ 4 = 25
Width(w) 23 24 25 26 27
Area (A) 621 624 625 624 621

When 𝑤 = 25𝑐𝑚, the rectangle has a maximum area of A = 625 𝑐𝑚2

A square is a special kind of rectangle, it is one where all the sides have the same
length. Thus every square is a rectangle but not every rectangle is a square.