Name: Email: @vols.utk.
edu
Lesson 3: Derivatives & Basic Differentiation Rules
Learning Objectives:
I. Graphically determine whether a function is differentiable at an x-value.
II. Compute the derivative of a function using basic differentiation rules.
III. Write or analyze the equation of a tangent line.
I. The Definition of the Derivative
Calculus is the study of rates of change. There are many real-life rates of change, such as the
following.
•
•
•
The slope of a line indicates the rate at which the line rises or falls. For a line, this rate (i.e., the
slope) is the same at every point on the line. For other graphs, the rate at which the graph rises
or falls changes from point to point. To determine the rate at which a graph rises or falls at a
single point, we find the slope of the tangent line at the point. The tangent line to the graph of
a function at a point is the line that best approximates the graph at that point.
To find the tangent line to the graph of a function at a point, consider a second point that is close
to the original point. The line that goes through these two points is called a secant line. If we
imagine the second point getting closer and closer to the original point, the secant lines will get
closer and closer to the tangent line.
Let’s consider this in more detail. Let’s say we want to find the tangent line to the graph of f (x)
at the point (x, f (x)). If we consider a second point close to the original point, define ∆x to be the
difference between the two x-values. This means the second point is (x + ∆x, f (x + ∆x)).
The slope of the secant line between these two points is
y2 − y1 f (x + ∆x) − f (x) f (x + ∆x) − f (x)
m= = = .
x2 − x1 (x + ∆x) − x ∆x
Now, as the second point gets closer and closer to the original point, ∆x is getting closer and closer
to 0. So, the slope of the tangent line is the limit of the slopes of the secant lines (as ∆x approaches
0). The slope of the tangent line is
f (x + ∆x) − f (x)
m = lim .
∆x→0 ∆x
Math 125 Note-Taking Guide Lesson 3 - Page 2
The of a function f (x), denoted f ′ (x), gives us the slope of the tangent
line at at each x-value.
Example 1 (Find slope of tangent lines graphically)
Find the slope of each tangent line to f (x) = −x2 + 2.
y y y
x x x
The process of finding derivatives is called . When we can find the
derivative of f (x), we say that f (x) is differentiable. (Not every function is differentiable at every
x-value because the limit associated with the derivative may not exist.)
The following are examples of functions that are not differentiable at x = 0.
vertical jump cusp corner vertical
tangent asymptote
Theorem: If a function f (x) is differentiable at x = c, then f is continuous at x = c.
Note: The converse of this statement is not true. (For example, in the graphs of the corner and
cusp above, the functions are continuous but not differentiable at x = 0.)
II. Basic Differentiation Rules
Some different notations for the derivative include the following.
1. 2. 3.
Math 125 Note-Taking Guide Lesson 3 - Page 3
Constant Rule
The derivative of a constant function is .
d
If c is a real number, then [c] = .
dx
Example 2 (Constant rule)
Find the derivative. Use proper notation.
d
(a) [7] = (b) If f (x) = e, f ′ (x) =
dx
Simple Power Rule
To find the derivative of x to a power, bring the power to the
and subtract one from the exponent.
d n
If n is a real number, then [x ] = .
dx
Note: You will often need to rewrite a given function using algebra so that you can apply the
Simple Power Rule.
Example 3 (Simple power rule)
Find the derivative. Use proper notation.
d 5
(a) Find [x ]. (b) If f (x) = x−2 find f ′ (x).
dx
dy dy
(c) If y = x2/3 , find . (d) If y = x find .
dx dx
√
3 dy
(e) If y = x4 , find .
dx
Math 125 Note-Taking Guide Lesson 3 - Page 4
Constant Multiple Rule
If f is a differentiable function of x and c is a real number, then
d
[c · f (x)] = .
dx
Example 4 (Constant multiple rule)
Find the derivative. Use proper notation.
d
(a) Find [5x3 ]. (b) If f (x) = 3x5/6 find f ′ (x).
dx
2 d 7
(c) If y = x−3/4 , find y ′ . (d) Find .
3 dx 4x5
√ dy
(e) If y = 4 3 x, find .
dx
Math 125 Note-Taking Guide Lesson 3 - Page 5
Exponential and Logarithmic Rules
d x d
[e ] = and [ln x] =
dx dx
Example 5 (Exponential and logarithmic rules)
Differentiate. Use proper notation.
d
(a) If f (x) = 5ex , find f ′ (x). (b) Find [7 ln x]
dx
Sum and Difference Rules
If f and g are differentiable functions of x, then
d
[f (x) ± g(x)] = .
dx
Example 6 (Sum and difference rules)
Differentiate. Use proper notation.
d 5
(a) Find [4 + 2ex ] (b) If f (x) = 4x2 + 3x + , find f ′ (x).
dx x
Example 7 (Find derivatives)
Find the derivative. Use proper notation.
4x3 − 2x + 1
(a) f (x) = (x3 + 2x)(x − 1) (b) g(x) =
x
Math 125 Note-Taking Guide Lesson 3 - Page 6
III. Tangent Lines
The tangent line to the graph of a function f (x) at a point (x1 , y1 ) is the line with slope f ′ (x1 )
that goes through the point (x1 , y1 ).
Example 8 (Write the equation of a tangent line)
Write the equation of the tangent line to the graph of f (x) = x3/2 at x = 4.
Example 9 (Determine where a graph has a horizontal tangent line)
Determine the point, if any, at which the graph of the function has a horizontal tangent line (i.e.,
where f ′ (x) = 0).
f (x) = 4x2 + 2x
Math 125 Note-Taking Guide Lesson 3 - Page 7
Additional Notes
