How Do You Simplify Derivatives in Basic Differentiation Problems?

In summary: Expanding the denominator would give you the same result as the previous line, and therefore still incorrect. When dividing fractions, you can cancel only common factors, not individual terms. Hence, the correct answer is simply:y' = 1.
  • #1
FaraDazed
347
2

Homework Statement


Differentiate the following and display in the simplest form.

Part A:
[tex]y=0.2x^5 - sin4x + cos4x[/tex]

Part B:
[tex]y=(2x^4 +3)^3
[/tex]

Part C:
[tex]
y=2x^3 sinx
[/tex]

Part D:
[tex]
y=\frac{sinx}{x^2}
[/tex]

Part E:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1}
[/tex]

Homework Equations


chain rule
product rule
quotient rule

The Attempt at a Solution


Part A:
[tex]
y=0.2x^5 - sin4x + cos4x \\
y'=x^4-4 \ cos4x-4 \ sin4x
[/tex]

Part B:
[tex]
y=(2x^4 +3)^3 \\
let \ u =2x^4 +3 \\
u'=8x^3 \\
y'(u)=3u^2 \\
y'=3u^2 \times 8x^3 \\
y'=3(2x^4 +3)^2 \times 8x^3 \\
y'=24x^3(2x^4+3)^2 \\
[/tex]

Part C:
[tex]
y=2x^3 \ sinx \\
let \ u = 2x^3 \\
let \ v = sinx \\
y'=vu'+uv' \\
y'=sinx \ 6x^2 + 2x^3 \ cosx \\
y'=2x^2(3 \ sinx + x \ cosx)
[/tex]

Part D:
[tex]
y=\frac{sinx}{x^2} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2 cosx - sinx \ 2x}{(x^2)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x(x \ cosx - 2sinx)}{x^4} \\
y'=x^{-3}(x \ cosx - 2sinx)
[/tex]

Part E:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(3x^2 + 3 - 2x^2 )}{(x^2 +1)^2} \\
[/tex]
 
Last edited:
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  • #2
FaraDazed said:

Homework Statement


Differentiate the following and display in the simplest form.

Part A:
[tex]y=0.2x^5 - sin4x + cos4x[/tex]

Part B:
[tex]y=(2x^4 +3)^3
[/tex]

Part C:
[tex]
y=2x^3 sinx
[/tex]

Part D:
[tex]
y=\frac{sinx}{x^2}
[/tex]

Part E:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1}
[/tex]



Homework Equations


chain rule
product rule
quotient rule


The Attempt at a Solution


Part A:
[tex]
y=0.2x^5 - sin4x + cos4x \\
y'=x^4-4cos4x-4sin4x
[/tex]

Part B:
[tex]
y=(2x^4 +3)^3 \\
let \ u =2x^4 +3 \\
u'=8x^3 \\
y'(u)=3u^2 \\
y'=3u^2 \times 8x^3 \\
y'=3(2x^4 +3)^2 \times 8x^3 \\
y'=24x^3(2x^4+3)^2 \\
[/tex]

Part C:
[tex]
y=2x^3 \ sinx \\
let \ u = 2x^3 \\
let \ v = sinx \\
y'=vu'+uv' \\
y'=sinx \ 6x^2 + 2x^3 \ cosx \\
y'=2x^2(3 \ sinx + x \ cosx)
[/tex]

Part D:
[tex]
y=\frac{sinx}{x^2} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2 cosx - sinx \ 2x}{(x^2)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x(x \ cosx - 2sinx)}{x^4}
[/tex]

Part E:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(3x^2 + 3 - 2x^2 )}{(x^2 +1)^2} \\
[/tex]

A, B and C are ok . D is ok too just cancel that x you factored out with one x from the denominator to get it in simplest form. E is wrong try to rework it.
 
  • #3
mtayab1994 said:
A, B and C are ok . D is ok too just cancel that x you factored out with one x from the denominator to get it in simplest form. E is wrong try to rework it.

Thanks for taking a look :), I have edited part D, is that what you meant?

On Part E, is it my jump from line 3 to line 4 where I went wrong or was it before that?

Thanks.
 
  • #4
In the next to last step in part E, simplify the numerator first by combining like terms.

Also, it is best to post only a single problem, or two at most, in a thread.
 
  • #5
mtayab1994 said:
A, B and C are ok . D is ok too just cancel that x you factored out with one x from the denominator to get it in simplest form. E is wrong try to rework it.

Here is my rework of Part E, I went around it a different way by expanding the denomator and then cancelling terms:
Part E:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^4 + 3x^2}{x^4 + 2x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{3x^2}{2x^2+1}
[/tex]

Does this work?

Thanks.
 
Last edited:
  • #6
Mark44 said:
Also, it is best to post only a single problem, or two at most, in a thread.

OK no problem, will do, I just didn't want to create 3+ threads all in one go.
 
  • #7
FaraDazed said:
Here is my rework of Part E, I went around it a different way by expanding the denomator and then cancelling terms:
Part E:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^4 + 3x^2}{x^4 + 2x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{3x^2}{2x^2+1}
[/tex]

Does this work?

Thanks.

No that does not work you can't just cancel out an x^4 because you haven't factored with it.

You third to last line is correct you will get x^4+3x^2 and just factor that out and you are done.
 
  • #8
mtayab1994 said:
No that does not work you can't just cancel out an x^4 because you haven't factored with it.

You third to last line is correct you will get x^4+3x^2 and just factor that out and you are done.

[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^4 + 3x^2}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
[/tex]

like that? Thanks.
 
  • #9
FaraDazed said:
[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^4 + 3x^2}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
[/tex]

like that? Thanks.

Yep that's it!
 
  • #10
mtayab1994 said:
Yep that's it!

Thank you :)
 
  • #11
FaraDazed said:
Thank you :)

Not a problem.
 
  • #12
mtayab1994 said:
Yep that's it!

Hi again!

I have just been playing around with part E again and think I may have made it even simpler, can you tell me if what I have done below is OK?

[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^4 + 3x^2}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{x^4+2x^2+1} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{x^2(x^2+2+1)} \\
y'=\frac{x^2+3}{x^2+2+1} \\
y'=\frac{x^2+3}{x^2+3} \\
y'=1 \\
[/tex]
 
  • #13
FaraDazed said:
Hi again!

I have just been playing around with part E again and think I may have made it even simpler, can you tell me if what I have done below is OK?

[tex]
y=\frac{x^3}{x^2 +1} \\
y'=\frac{vu'-uv'}{v^2} \\
y'=\frac{(x^2 +1)3x^2-x^32x}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{3x^4 + 3x^2 - 2x^4}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^4 + 3x^2}{(x^2 + 1)^2} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{(x^2 + 1)^2} [/tex]
Stop here. Expanding the denominator serves no purpose, and there is an error in your work.
FaraDazed said:
[tex]
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{x^4+2x^2+1} \\
y'=\frac{x^2(x^2 +3)}{x^2(x^2+2+1)} \\
y'=\frac{x^2+3}{x^2+2+1} \\
y'=\frac{x^2+3}{x^2+3} \\
y'=1 \\
[/tex]

No.
x4 + 2x2 + 1 ≠ x2(x2 + 2 + 1)
 

What is differentiation?

Differentiation is a mathematical process that involves finding the rate at which one quantity changes with respect to another quantity. It is used to calculate slopes, rates of change, and other important concepts in calculus.

Why is differentiation important?

Differentiation is important because it allows us to understand the behavior of complex functions and their rates of change. It is used in many fields, such as physics, engineering, economics, and biology, to solve real-world problems.

What are the basic rules of differentiation?

The basic rules of differentiation include the power rule, product rule, quotient rule, and chain rule. These rules allow us to find the derivative of a function by manipulating its algebraic expression.

How is differentiation related to integration?

Differentiation and integration are two fundamental operations of calculus that are closely related. The derivative of a function is the slope of its tangent line, while the integral of a function is the area under its curve. The two operations are inverse of each other.

What are some common applications of differentiation?

Differentiation has many practical applications, such as finding maximum and minimum values, optimization problems, and curve sketching. It is also used in physics to calculate velocity and acceleration, in economics to analyze cost and revenue functions, and in biology to model population growth.

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