How do I differentiate sin²(3x)?

  • Context: Undergrad 
  • Thread starter Thread starter winston2020
  • Start date Start date
Join the discussion
Registration is free. Ask a follow-up in this thread, or start your own.
8 replies · 29K views
winston2020
Messages
35
Reaction score
0
I'm not sure how to differentiate sin^2[3x]. Although, I think it's just d/dx( (sin[3x])(sin[3x]) ). So, just chain and product rules should do it. Is that right?

EDIT: I've followed through with the above method, and I got 3*sin(6x). Is that correct?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
nope!

what does chain rule say?

[tex]\frac{d}{dx}sin^2(3x)=2sin(3x)*3=6sin3x[/tex]
 
sutupidmath said:
nope!

what does chain rule say?

[tex]\frac{d}{dx}sin^2(3x)=2sin(3x)*3=6sin3x[/tex]

Oh man, I really over complicated things. Thanks :D

EDIT: Wait though... shouldn't sin switch to cos at some point?

Doesn't the chain rule mean it should go something like this:

[tex] = 2sin(3x)*cos(3x)*3[/tex]
[tex] = 6* sin(3x)cos(3x)[/tex]
[tex] = 3( 2sin(3x)cos(3x) )[/tex]
[tex] = 3( sin(2 *3x) )[/tex]
[tex] = 3sin(6x)[/tex]
 
Last edited:
chain rule: [f(g(x))]'=f'(g(x))g'(x)
 
sutupidmath said:
chain rule: [f(g(x))]'=f'(g(x))g'(x)

Exactly. So then this is my logic:

Since [tex]sin^2(u) = [sin(u)]^2[/tex]

Let [tex]u = 3x[/tex]

And let [tex]v = sin(u)[/tex]

i.e.

[tex]\frac{d}{dx}v^2 = 2v = 2(sin(u)) * \frac{d}{dx}sin(u) = 2(sin(3x)) * cos(3x) * \frac{d}{dx}3x[/tex]

[tex] = 2(sin(3x)) * cos(3x) * 3[/tex]

[tex] = 6(sin(3x)cos(3x))[/tex]

And since [tex]2sin(x)cos(x) = sin(2x)[/tex]

[tex] = 3( 2sin(3x)cos(3x) )[/tex]
[tex] = 3( sin(2*3x) )[/tex]
[tex] = 3sin(6x)[/tex]

Is that not correct?
 
That's completely right^^
 
Feldoh said:
That's completely right^^

Thank you :smile:
 
I believe winston2020 is correct.

Sutupidmath, the g(x) function is sin(3x) so you have to take the derivative of that, which is 3cos(3x), not the derivative of 3x.

winston, you should be a bit more confident in your answers :). You did mention that you could do this via chain rule or product rule, so that gives you a way to check your answer. The idea is not to worry about 3x in on (sin(3x))2. Use the well known rule for dealing with powers, then take the derivative of the "inside" function, sin(3x), which is just 3cos(3x) and multiply to get 2sin(3x)3cos(3x) = 6sin(3x)cos(3x) = 3*2sin(3x)cos(3x) = 3sin(6x).
 
snipez90 said:
I believe winston2020 is correct.

Sutupidmath, the g(x) function is sin(3x) so you have to take the derivative of that, which is 3cos(3x), not the derivative of 3x.

.

My bad lol..i don't know what i was thinking!