Understanding Derivatives of Exponential Functions

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In summary, Daniel explains that the derivatives for the first equation are x^3 e^2x and the derivative for the second equation is e^(x^2+1)^1/2. For the third equation, Daniel explains that the derivative is (e^2x - 2e^x)^2 and for the fourth equation, Daniel explains that the derivative is \left(\coth x\right)' .
  • #1
Struggling
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Hi all just studying up for my exam :grumpy: I am scared,

ive been going over some practice questions and I am stuck with a couple and would like some better understanding of another.

first of all:
determine the derivatives of each of the following functions
(1) x^3 e^2x

with this i know that the answer is x^2(3+2x)e^2x. i got the answer right but even I am not sure how, could someone explain to me the (3+2x) in the brackets, i don't understand it because i know d/dx e^x = e^x and d/dx e^f(x) = e^f(x) x f '(x).


(2) e^(x^2+1)^1/2

with this one i tried using the chain rule for (x^2+1)^1/2 to get the derivative, i got what i thought was the right answer but wasnt. what am i doing wrong here? am i using the right rule?

(3) (e^2x - 2e^x)^2

once again i tried the chain rule here ended up getting close to the answer but it all seemed to cancel each other out? i believe i got close to this one but iam missing something. once again am i using the right rule?


(4) e^x + e^-x / e^x - e^-x

i tried the quotient rule for this one but i pretty much ended up with the same but with (e^x - e^-x) on top with e^x + e^-x.

any help would be appreciated thanks guys
 
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  • #2
Alright,let's take it methodically.

For the first exercise,i have a hunch that "(3+2x)" comes from that simple algebra operation called "factoring of common parts" which comes from the distributivity of the multiplication wrt addition.

For the second,it's just chain rule.You must be screwing up that sqrt's derivative.

For the third,hmm,i think it's easier than the second.

The fourth is simply [itex] \left(\coth x\right)' [/itex].It's "-1" times "hyperbolic cosecant squared".

Daniel.
 
  • #3
dextercioby said:
Alright,let's take it methodically.

For the first exercise,i have a hunch that "(3+2x)" comes from that simple algebra operation called "factoring of common parts" which comes from the distributivity of the multiplication wrt addition.

sorry still not on the ball, would you care to explain in a little more depth?

and thank you for the help on the other 3.
 
  • #4
[tex] \left(x^{3}e^{2x}\right)'=3x^{2}e^{2x}+2x^{3}e^{2x}=x^{2}\left(3+2x\right) e^{2x} [/tex]

I say it's not that difficult,is it...?

Daniel.
 
  • #5
ohhh i get you :blushing: sorry
 
  • #6
We'd like to think introductory algebra as a prerequisite for calculus.So my advice is to brush on some rusty simple theorems in elementary algebra.

Daniel.
 

1. What is the general form of a derivative of an exponential function?

The general form of a derivative of an exponential function is f'(x) = ax ln(a), where a is the base of the exponential function.

2. How do you find the derivative of an exponential function?

To find the derivative of an exponential function, you can use the power rule. This means taking the coefficient of the exponential term and multiplying it by the base raised to the power of the exponent minus one. For example, the derivative of 3x would be 3x ln(3) using the power rule.

3. Can you use the chain rule to find the derivative of an exponential function?

Yes, you can use the chain rule to find the derivative of an exponential function. This is helpful when the base of the exponential function is a variable or expression. In this case, you would take the derivative of the entire exponential term, including the base and exponent, and then multiply it by the derivative of the base.

4. How does the derivative of an exponential function change when the base is a constant?

When the base of an exponential function is a constant, the derivative remains the same. This is because the derivative of a constant is always zero, so it does not affect the derivative of the exponential function.

5. Can you find the derivative of a complex exponential function?

Yes, you can find the derivative of a complex exponential function. The process is the same as with a regular exponential function, but you must also take the derivative of the imaginary part of the function. This can be done using the chain rule and the rules for differentiating trigonometric functions.

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