MAC2233 (2.

4)
2.4 The Chain Rule
Chain Rule: If y = f(u) and u = g(x) are both differentiable at u and x, then so is their
composite function y = f(g(x)) is differentiable at x , whose derivative is given by
dy dy du
dx dudx
or
( ) ( ) ' '
dy
f g x g f x
dx
1 1
] ]
.
General Power Rule: For any real number n and differentiable function h,
[ ] ( ) [ ] ( ) ( )
n n d d
h x n h x h x
dx dx

1
]
1
.
Differentiate the given function and simplify your answer (1 10, 18 - 36):
1. ; y u u u x +
2
2 3
2.
( ) f s
s

+
3
1
5 2
Chain Rule
3. ( ) ( ) ( ) f x x x +
4 2
2 3 1 5 3 Product rule; General Power rule

4. Use chain rule to compute the derivative of ; y u x x
u
+
+
3
1
2 5
1
at x = 0
Find an equation for the tangent line to the curve at the point when x=x
0
(37 40):
5.
( ) ;
x
f x x
x
+ _

,
3
1
3
1
6. Find all values of x where the tangent line to y = f(x) = ( ) ( ) ( ) f x x x +
2 3
1 2 3 is
horizontal
MAC2233 (2.4)
7. Find the second derivative of
( )
( )
f u
u

2
2
1
3 1
8. At a factory, the total cost of manufacturing q units is C(q) = 0.2q
2
+ q + 900 dollars. It
has been determined that approximately q(t) = t
2
+ 100t units are manufactured during
the first t hours of a production run. Compute the rate at which the total manufacturing cost
is changing with respect to time one hour after production commences.
9. It is estimated that t years from now, the population of a certain suburban community will be
( ) p t
t

+
6
20
1
thousand. An environmental study indicates that the average daily level of
carbon monoxide in the air will be ( ) . c p p p + +
2
05 58 parts per million when the population
is p thousand.
[a] At what rate will the level of carbon monoxide be changing with respect to the population
when the population is 18 thousand people. [b] At what rate will the carbon monoxide level
be changing with respect to time two years from now; will it be increasing or decreasing?