Detailed Derivatives Reviewer
Detailed Derivatives Reviewer
What is a Derivative?
A derivative represents the rate at which a function is changing at any given point.
- Geometrically: It gives the slope of the tangent line to the graph of the function.
- Physically: It describes how a quantity changes with respect to another (e.g., velocity is the
This gives the slope of the secant line as h approaches 0, becoming the tangent line.
Differentiation
Rules of Differentiation
1. Constant Rule:
- d/dx(c) = 0
2. Power Rule:
5. Product Rule:
6. Quotient Rule:
Common Derivatives
1. d/dx(x) = 1
2. d/dx(x^2) = 2x
3. d/dx(sin x) = cos x
4. d/dx(cos x) = -sin x
5. d/dx(e^x) = e^x
6. d/dx(ln x) = 1/x
Applications of Derivatives
Example Problems
2. Differentiate y = 2x^2 + 5x - 7:
Solution: dy/dx = 4x + 5