Implicit Derivation: Finding 2nd Derivative of y^2 = x^3

Bashyboy
Messages
1,419
Reaction score
5

Homework Statement


I am suppose to find the second derivative implicitly of the function y^2 = x^3. I find the first derivative to be dy/dx = 3x^2/2y, but shortly find myself having difficulty in the second derivation. My steps for the second derivative is in the file attached; there are a few additionally steps, but, at the last step, I am in no way nearing the actual answer.


Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution

 

Attachments

  • Untitled.jpg
    Untitled.jpg
    25 KB · Views: 577
Physics news on Phys.org
Bashyboy said:

Homework Statement


I am suppose to find the second derivative implicitly of the function y^2 = x^3. I find the first derivative to be dy/dx = 3x^2/2y, but shortly find myself having difficulty in the second derivation. My steps for the second derivative is in the file attached; there are a few additionally steps, but, at the last step, I am in no way nearing the actual answer.
attachment.php?attachmentid=44684&d=1330827924.jpg


I assume that you result for implicitly differentiating y^2 = x^3, the first time was something like:
\displaystyle 2y(dy/dx)=3x^2​
Differentiate that again before solving for dy/dx. It's easier to work with.
 
Well, I took the derivative from where you advised me to; but I still feel I am getting it wrong. Here are some of the steps I took, though there are few because I had the intuition that I was getting them wrong.
 

Attachments

  • Derivative.jpg
    Derivative.jpg
    12.7 KB · Views: 491
Bashyboy said:
Well, I took the derivative from where you advised me to; but I still feel I am getting it wrong. Here are some of the steps I took, though there are few because I had the intuition that I was getting them wrong.
attachment.php?attachmentid=44708&d=1330867488.jpg


That looks OK so far.
 
Well, the answer is 3x/4y, and I am still not getting this.
 
SammyS said:
attachment.php?attachmentid=44708&d=1330867488.jpg


That looks OK so far.

You miss a square in the second step . d/dx(yy')=y'2+yy".

ehild
 
ehild, I am terribly sorry: I don't really understand what you are saying; I can't not see what it is that I should be fixing in my second step.
 
ehild, I believe you may have made a mistake when typing with latex.
 
Do again the derivative of y dy/dx. It is (dy/dx)2+yd2y/dx2.

ehild
 
  • #10
SammyS said:
attachment.php?attachmentid=44708&d=1330867488.jpg


[STRIKE]That looks OK so far[/STRIKE].
I was wrong. As ehild pointed out, the dy/dx should be squared.

\displaystyle \frac{d}{dx}(2y\frac{dy}{dx})=2\frac{dy}{dx}\frac{dy}{dx}+2y\frac{d^2y}{dx^2}
 
Back
Top