10 Derivative of A Function
10 Derivative of A Function
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2
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
The average rate of change of f(x) as x varies from x = c to
x = c + h, which is given by the ratio
change in f x f c h f c
2
Rateave
change in x
c h c
f c h f c
1
4
h
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
The instantaneous rate of change of f(x) at x = c is determined
by finding the limiting value of the average rate as h tends to 0;
that is
f c h f c
1
2
Rateins lim rateave lim
h 0 h 0 h
4
This limit also gives the slope of the
tangent line to the curve y = f(x)
at the point P(c, f(c)).
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
The Derivative of a Function
f ' x lim
h 0
f c h f c
h 1
2
4
[read f ' x as “f prime of x]. The process of computing the
derivative is called differentiation, and we say that f(x) is
differentiable at x = c if f ' x exists; that is, if the limit that
defines f ' x exists when x = c .
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
EXAMPLE 1
1
2
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Solution
The difference quotient for f(x) is
f x h f x 16x h 16 x 2
2
1
2
h h
16 x 2 2hx h 2 16 x 2
4
h
16 x 2 32hx 16h 2 16 x 2
h
32hx 16h 2
32 x 16h
h
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Thus, the derivative of f x 16x is the function
2
f x h f x
f ' x lim
h 0 h
1
2
lim 32 x 16h
h 0
32 x
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Slope as a Derivative
1
2
4
Derivative of a Function
0011Solution
0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
2
lim
h 0
lim
h h 0
x 3 3x 2 h 3xh 2 h 3 x 3
h
1
4
h 0 h
3x 2 h 3xh 2 h 3
lim
h 0 h
lim 3x 2 3xh h 2 3x 2
h 0
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Thus, the slope of the tangent line to the curve y x 3 at x = –1 is
f ' 1 3 1 3.
2
2
To find an equation for the tangent line, we also need the y
coordinate of the point of tangency; namely,
y x3 1 1.
3 1
Using the point – slope formula,
y 1 3x 1
y 3x 2
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
EXAMPLE 3
A manufacturer determines that when x thousand units of a
particular commodity are produced, the profit generated will be
4
of production x when 9,000 units are produced?
Derivative of a Function
Solution
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
We find that
Px h Px
P' x lim
2
h 0
1
h
lim
400x h 6,800x h 12,000 400 x 2 6,800 x 12,000
2
h 0 h
4
lim
800hx 400h 2 6800h
h 0 h
lim 800 x 400h 6,800
h 0
800 x 6,800
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Thus, when the level of production is x = 9 (9,000 units), the profit
is changing at the rate of
P' 9 8009 6,800 400
1
2
dollars per thousand units.
4
Derivative of a Function
Since P' 9 400 this means that the tangent line to the profit
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
1
2
sloped downward, the profit
curve must be falling at Q,
so profit must be decreasing
4
when 9,000 units are being
produced.
Derivative of a Function
1
2
f is increasing at x = c if f ' c 0 and
f is decreasing at x = c if f ' c 0.
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
1
2
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Derivative Notation
2
df (read as “dee y, dee x” or “dee f, dee x”).
dx
1
In this notation, the value of the derivative at x = c [that is, f ' c
is written as
dy
dx x c
or
df
dx x c
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
EXAMPLE 4
If y x 2 , then find dy .
dx
2
x 3
1
4
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Solution
f x h f x x h x 2
2
dy
lim lim
dx h0 h h 0 h
1
2
x 2 2hx h 2 x 2 2hx h 2
lim lim
h 0 h h 0 h
lim 2 x h
4
h 0
2x
dy
6
dx x 3
Derivative of a Function
for derivative suggests slope, y and can also
0011 0010 1010 1101 dy
0001 0100 1011
The notation
dx x
be thought of as “the rate of change of y with respect to x .”
1
2
Sometimes it is convenient to condense a statement such as
“when y x 2 , then dy 2 x “
4
dx
which reads, “the derivative of x 2 with respect to x is 2x.”
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
EXAMPLE 5
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2
a. Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve y x
at the point where x = 4.
4
b. Find the rate at whichy x is changing with respect to x
when x = 1.
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
Solution
x h x x h x
4
lim
h 0 h x h x
xhx h
lim lim
h 0 h
x h x h 0 h x h x
1 1
lim
h 0 xh x 2 x
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001 0100 1011
a. When x = 4, the corresponding y coordinate on the graph
of f x x is y 4 2 , so the point of tangency is
P(4, 2).
Since f ' x
1
, the slope of the tangent line to the
1
2
2 x
graph is given by f ' 4
1 1
2 4 4
4
and by substituting into the point-slope formula, we find
that the equation of the tangent line at P is
Derivative of a Function
0011 0010 1010 1101
1 0001 0100 1011
y2 x 4 or
4
1
y x 1
4
1
2
C x 0.04 x 2 5.1x 40
a. Find the average cost as the level of production changes
4
from x = 10 to x = 11 units.
1
2
100.94 95
5.94
1
C x h C x
4
b. C ' x lim
h 0 h
lim
0.04x h 5.1x h 40 0.04 x 2 5.1x 40
2
h 0 h
Derivative of a Function
0.04x h
0011 0010 1010 1101 0001
C ' x lim
2 0100 1011
5.1 x h 40 0.04 x 2 5.1x 40
h 0 h
lim
0.04 x 2 0.08hx 0.04h 2 5.1x 5.1h 40 0.04 x 2 5.1x 40
2
h 0 h
lim
h 0
0.08hx h 2 5.1h