Further Differentiation (Edexcel International A Level (IAL) Maths: Pure 3): Flashcards

Exam code: YMA01

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  • Complete the derivatives of the three basic trigonometric functions:

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\sin x\right) = \_\_\_\_\_\_

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\cos x\right) = \_\_\_\_\_\_

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\tan x\right) = \_\_\_\_\_\_

    The completed derivatives are:

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\sin x\right) = \cos x

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\cos x\right) = - \sin x

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\tan x\right) = \sec^{2} x

    Only the cosine picks up a minus sign, and these results hold only when x is in radians.

  • What is the derivative of \ln x?

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\ln x\right) = \frac{1}{x}.

    A logarithm differentiates to something with no logarithm left in it at all, which is what makes the result so useful.

  • True or False?

    The derivative of \ln k x is \frac{k}{x}.

    False.

    The k makes no difference at all, because \ln k x = \ln k + \ln x and \ln k is a constant, which differentiates to zero.

    The derivative is therefore exactly what it would be without the k there.

  • What is the derivative of a^{x}, for a > 0?

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(a^{x}\right) = a^{x} \ln a.

    The base is carried through untouched, and it is the natural logarithm of that base that appears alongside it as a multiplier.

  • How is the derivative of a^{k x} found from that of a^{x}?

    By the chain rule, which brings the k down as an extra multiplier.

    So \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(a^{k x}\right) = k a^{k x} \ln a.

  • What does \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(a^{x}\right) = a^{x} \ln a give when a = \text{e}?

    The multiplier becomes \ln \text{e}, which is 1, so it vanishes altogether.

    That is precisely why \text{e} is singled out from every other possible base.

  • If y is a function of u, and u is a function of x, complete the chain rule:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} u} \times \_\_\_\_\_\_

    The completed rule is:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} u} \times \frac{\text{d} u}{\text{d} x}

    The \text{d} u terms look as though they cancel, which is a useful way to remember it, though it is not a proof.

  • What kind of function does the chain rule differentiate?

    A composite function, meaning one function applied to the output of another.

    So \sin \left(x^{2}\right) needs it: the squaring happens first, and the sine acts on the result.

  • How do you differentiate \left(\text{f} \left(x\right)\right)^{n}?

    Bring the power down, reduce it by one, and multiply by the derivative of the inside:

    n \left(\text{f} \left(x\right)\right)^{n - 1} \text{f} ' \left(x\right)

    The inside function is differentiated but not otherwise changed.

  • What does \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{1}{\frac{\text{d} x}{\text{d} y}} allow you to do?

    Differentiate a relationship that is given as x in terms of y, rather than the other way round.

    Differentiate as it stands to get \frac{\text{d} x}{\text{d} y}, then take the reciprocal.

  • What is the derivative of \ln \left(\text{f} \left(x\right)\right)?

    \frac{\text{f} ' \left(x\right)}{\text{f} \left(x\right)}.

    This shape, a derivative sitting over the original function, is worth recognising: it is the pattern that makes certain fractions integrate to a logarithm later in the course.

  • True or False?

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\left(3 x + 1\right)^{5}\right) = 5 \left(3 x + 1\right)^{4}

    False.

    The derivative of the inside, which is 3, has to be included as well, giving 15 \left(3 x + 1\right)^{4}.

    Forgetting that final factor is the commonest chain rule error.

  • For y = u v, where u and v are functions of x, complete the product rule:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = u \frac{\text{d} v}{\text{d} x} + \_\_\_\_\_\_

    The completed rule is:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = u \frac{\text{d} v}{\text{d} x} + v \frac{\text{d} u}{\text{d} x}

    It is often remembered in the shorter form y ' = u v ' + v u ', and it is not in the formulae booklet.

  • What is the difference between a product of two functions and a composite function?

    A product is two functions multiplied together, such as x^{2} \sin x.

    A composite is a function of a function, such as \sin \left(x^{2}\right), and it needs the chain rule instead.

  • Why is the derivative of a product not the product of the derivatives?

    Because each term of the product rule keeps one of the two functions unchanged.

    Differentiating both at once, turning x^{2} \sin x into 2 x \cos x, throws that structure away entirely and gives the wrong answer.

  • Differentiate y = x^{2} \sin x.

    Taking u = x^{2} and v = \sin x:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = x^{2} \cos x + 2 x \sin x

    Each of the two terms still contains one of the original functions untouched, which is the pattern to check your answer against.

  • True or False?

    In the product rule it makes no difference which function you call u and which you call v.

    True.

    The two terms are added together, so swapping u and v simply writes the same answer in the other order.

    The rule is symmetric in the two functions.

  • For y = \frac{u}{v}, where u and v are functions of x, complete the quotient rule:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{v \frac{\text{d} u}{\text{d} x} - u \frac{\text{d} v}{\text{d} x}}{\_\_\_\_\_\_}

    The completed rule is:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{v \frac{\text{d} u}{\text{d} x} - u \frac{\text{d} v}{\text{d} x}}{v^{2}}

    The denominator is the bottom function squared, not the derivative of anything, and the whole formula is given in the formulae booklet.

  • Why does the order of the two terms matter in the quotient rule?

    Because of the minus sign in the numerator: swapping the terms reverses the sign of the whole answer.

    The term beginning with v, the bottom function, is the one that comes first.

  • How can you recognise a quotient rule question written as \text{g} \left(x\right) \left(\text{h} \left(x\right)\right)^{- 1}?

    A negative power applied to a whole function is a division in disguise, since \text{g} \left(x\right) \left(\text{h} \left(x\right)\right)^{- 1} = \frac{\text{g} \left(x\right)}{\text{h} \left(x\right)}.

    It can be done with the product and chain rules instead, but the quotient rule is usually quicker.

  • Differentiate y = \frac{\sin x}{x}.

    Taking u = \sin x and v = x:

    \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{x \cos x - \sin x}{x^{2}}

    Answers from the quotient rule rarely simplify much, so leaving the result as a single fraction is normal.

  • True or False?

    Every quotient has to be differentiated using the quotient rule.

    False.

    A quotient that simplifies should be simplified first: \frac{x^{3} + x}{x} is just x^{2} + 1, which differentiates in one line.

    The rule is for quotients that cannot be reduced to a sum of simpler terms.

  • Complete the derivatives of these reciprocal trigonometric functions:

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\sec x\right) = \_\_\_\_\_\_
    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\cot x\right) = \_\_\_\_\_\_

    The completed derivatives are:

    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\sec x\right) = \sec x \tan x
    \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\cot x\right) = - \text{cosec}^{2} x

    The third of the set is \frac{\text{d}}{\text{d} x} \left(\text{cosec} \, x\right) = - \text{cosec} \, x \cot x, and notice that the two functions beginning with "co" are the two carrying a minus sign.

  • How do you derive the derivative of \sec x?

    Write \sec x = \left(\cos x\right)^{- 1} and apply the chain rule.

    That gives - \left(\cos x\right)^{- 2} \times \left(- \sin x\right) = \frac{\sin x}{\cos^{2} x}, which splits into \sec x \tan x.

  • How do you derive the derivative of \arcsin x?

    Write y = \arcsin x, so that x = \sin y, and differentiate to get \frac{\text{d} x}{\text{d} y} = \cos y.

    Taking the reciprocal gives \frac{\text{d} y}{\text{d} x} = \frac{1}{\cos y}, and \sin^{2} y + \cos^{2} y \equiv 1 turns that into \frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - x^{2}}}.

  • For which values of x is the derivative of \arcsin x defined?

    Only for - 1 < x < 1.

    At x = \pm 1 the denominator \sqrt{1 - x^{2}} becomes zero, which matches the graph of \arcsin x turning vertical at each end of its domain.

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