Lesson 12

Differentials and
Parametric Equations
OBJECTIVES:

At the end of the lesson, the student should be able to:

 DEFINITION OF
DIFFERENTIALS

• Let x represents a function that is differentiable on an

open interval containing x. The differential of x
(denoted by dx) is any nonzero real number.
• The differential of y (denoted by dy) is
dy = f(x )dx.
DIFFERENTIAL
FORMULAS
EXAMPLE 1:   Find  dy  for  y = x3 +
5 x −1. 
dy  d x  5 x  1
 3
Note : In practice, we simply get the derivative

 3 x dx  5dx
2 of the right member of the equation and
multiply it by dx.

dy   3x 2  5  dx

 2x 
dy  d  
 3x  1 
 3 x  1 2    2 x  3 

 3 x  1 2
 6x  2  6x   2dx
dy   
2 
  dy 
  3 x  1   3 x  1 2
EXAMPLE 3:  Use differentials to approximate the change in the area of a
square if the length of its side increases from 6 cm to 6.23 cm.

Let x = length of the side of the square.

The area may be expressed as a function of x,
where  A= x2.
The differential dA is  dA  f '  x   dx  dA  2 x  dx
Because x is increasing from 6 to 6.23, you find that
Δ x = dx = .23 cm; hence, dA  2 6 cm  0.23cm 
dA  2.76 cm 2

The area of the square will increase by approximat ely 2.76 cm 2

as its side length increases from 6 to 6.23. Note that the exact
increase in area  y  is 2.8129 cm 2 .
EXAMPLE 4: Use the local linear approximation to estimate the
value26of
3
.55 to the nearest thousandth.
Because the function you are applying is f  x   3 x , choose a convenient
value of x that is a perfect cube and is relatively close to 26.55, namely
x  27. The differenti al dy is
1

dy  f'  x  dx  f  x   x3

1  23 1
dy  x dx  2 dx
3 3x 3
Because x is decreasing from 27 to 26.55, then x  dx  0.45
1 1 45 1
Hence , dy  2    0.45      0.0167
3 27 3 27 100 60
1
which implies that 3
26.55 will be approxima tely
60
1
less that 3
27  3; therefore 3
26.55  3 
60
3
26.55  3 - 0.0167  2.983
EXAMPLE 5:  If y = x3 + 2x2 – 3, find the approximate value of y
when x = 2.01.
The exact value is y  y but since we are simply asked
to find the approximate value, then we shall solve for
y  dy. Note that if we write 2.01  2  0.01, then we are
considering 2.01 as the result of applying an increment
of x  dx  0.01 to an original value of x  2.
Since y  x 3  2x 2  3
then dy   3x 2  4x  dx
when x  2, then y  8  8  3  13
and when x  2 and dx  0.01, then
dy   12  8  0.01  0.20
therefore , the required approximat ion is
y  dy  13  0.20  13.20
EXAMPLE 6: Use an appropriate local linear approximation
to estimate the value of cos 310.
Let y   cos x 
then dy    sin x  dx
when x  30 0 , then y  cos 30 0  0.866
  
and when x  30 and dx   1  
0 0
0 
 0.01745, then
 180 
  
dy    sin 30 0   10  0 
 180 
dy    0.5 0.01745  0.008725
therefore , the required approximat ion is
y  dy  0.866    0.008725  0.8573
Derivative of Parametric
Equations
EXAMPLES :
Find the derivatives of the following parametric equations :
1. x  8cost  5cos4t, y  8sin t - 5sin4t
dx
 8 sin t  20 sin 4 t and
dt
dy
 8 cos t  20 cos 4 t
dt
dy
dy dt 8 cos t  20 cos 4 t
 
dx dx  8 sin t  20 sin 4 t
dt
4 2 cos t  5 cos 4 t 

4  2 sin t  5 sin 4 t 
2 cos t  5 cos 4 t

 2 sin t  5 sin 4 t
 d2 y
2. If x  t  1, y  t  t,
3 2
find 2
dx

dy
dy dt 2t  1
 
dx dx 3t 2
dt
d2 y d  2t  1  dt
  2 
dx dt  3t  dx
2

d2 y  3t2   2   2t  1 6t  1
2
 4
 2
dx 9t 3t
d2 y  2 t  1
 2
dx 9t 5
 d2 y
3. If x  2 sin , y  1  4 cos , find 2
dx
dy
dy d 4 sin 
   2 tan 
dx dx 2 cos 
d
d2 y d d
  2 tan 
dx d
2
dx
d2 y 1
 2 sec 2
 
dx 2 2 cos 
d2 y
2
 sec 2
  sec 
dx
d2 y
 2  sec 3 
dx
Example:
I. Use differentials to approximate the value of the following expression.

II. Find the differential dy of the given function.

Examples: