How Do You Isolate dy/dx in Implicit Differentiation?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the process of isolating dy/dx after performing implicit differentiation on the equation x/y + y/x = 2y. Participants confirm that while the implicit differentiation yields the correct derivative, isolating dy/dx can be challenging. The key takeaway is that after differentiating both sides, one can rearrange the resulting equation to isolate dy/dx, which is essential for further analysis or application in calculus problems.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of implicit differentiation
  • Familiarity with algebraic manipulation
  • Knowledge of derivatives and their notation
  • Basic calculus concepts, including the chain rule
NEXT STEPS
  • Practice isolating dy/dx in various implicit differentiation problems
  • Review the chain rule and its application in implicit differentiation
  • Explore examples of implicit differentiation in multivariable calculus
  • Learn techniques for simplifying complex fractions before differentiation
USEFUL FOR

Students studying calculus, particularly those focusing on implicit differentiation, as well as educators seeking to clarify these concepts for their students.

physicsernaw
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Homework Statement



Calculate the derivative with respect to x:
x/y + y/x = 2y

Homework Equations



n/a

The Attempt at a Solution



I end up getting the right answer, but what I want to know is how to isolate dy/dx to one side after implicitly differentiating. I have tried differentiating the LHS sum by its terms, and also tried getting the common denominator first of the LHS and differentiating that, but I can't isolate dy/dx.

(I understand that I could isolate y instead and take the derivative, but I wanted to know if there was a way to isolate dy/dx to one side after implicitly differentiating).
 
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physicsernaw said:

Homework Statement



Calculate the derivative with respect to x:
x/y + y/x = 2y

Homework Equations



The Attempt at a Solution



I end up getting the right answer, but what I want to know is how to isolate dy/dx to one side after implicitly differentiating. I have tried differentiating the LHS sum by its terms, and also tried getting the common denominator first of the LHS and differentiating that, but I can't isolate dy/dx.

(I understand that I could isolate y instead and take the derivative, but I wanted to know if there was a way to isolate dy/dx to one side after implicitly differentiating).
What is your result upon implicitly differentiating?

It shouldn't be all that difficult to isolate dy/dx .
 

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