Exploration #4: Second Derivative

1. Since the derivative is itself a function, we can consider its derivative! For a function f (x), the derivative
of the first derivative of f (x) is called the second derivative. We write the second derivative of f (x)
as: f 00 (x).
Consider the graph of f 0 (x) provided below. Sketch a graph of f (x) and f 00 (x).

2. Circle all of the following statements that are always true. It may be helpful to sketch some diagrams
to illustrate each claim.

(a) If f 0 (a) > 0 then f (x) is increasing at x = a.

(b) If f 0 (a) > 0 then f 00 (x) is increasing at x = a.

(c) If f 00 (a) > 0 then f (x) is increasing at x = a.

(d) If f 00 (a) > 0 then f 0 (x) is increasing at x = a.

(e) If f 0 (x) is increasing at x = a then f (x) is concave up at x = a.

(f) If f 0 (x) is decreasing at x = a then f (x) is decreasing at x = a.

(g) If f 0 (x) is increasing at x = a then f 00 (x) is increasing at x = a.

(h) If f 0 (x) is increasing at x = a then f 00 (x) is positive at x = a.

(i) If f 0 (x) is decreasing at x = a then f (x) is negative at x = a.

(j) If f 00 (x) is increasing at x = a then f 0 (x) is positive at x = a.

(k) If f 00 (x) is positive at x = a then f 0 (x) is increasing at x = a.

(l) If f 00 (x) is positive at x = a then f (x) is increasing at x = a.

(m) If f 0 (a) < 0 then f (x) is decreasing at x = a.

(n) If f 0 (a) < 0 then f 00 (x) is decreasing at x = a.

(o) If f 00 (a) < 0 then f 0 (x) is decreasing at x = a.

(p) If f 00 (a) < 0 then f (x) is decreasing at x = a.

(q) If f 00 (a) < 0 then f (x) is concave up at x = a.

3. In your own words, how we can use f 0 (x) information to help when we sketch the graph of f (x).

4. In your own words, how we can use f (x) information to help when we sketch the graph of f 0 (x).

5. In your own words, how we can use f 00 (x) information to help when we sketch the graph of f 0 (x).

6. In your own words, how we can use f 00 (x) information to help when we sketch the graph of f (x).

7. Sketch one function f (x) below that satisfies the following conditions:

• f (3) = 2

• f 0 (3) = −2

• f 00 (3) = 1

• f (0) = 7

• f 0 (0) = −5

• f 00 (0) = −1
8. Consider the following function along with its first derivative and second derivative functions.

f (x) = x3 + x2 − 37x + 35

f 0 (x) = 3x2 + 2x − 37
f 00 (x) = 6x + 2

(a) Without plotting this function (but you can plot f 0 and f 00 of that helps), find the intervals for
which f (x) is increasing.

(b) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f (x) is decreasing.

(c) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f 0 (x) is increasing.

(d) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f 0 (x) is increasing.

(e) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f (x) is concave up.

(f) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f (x) is concave down.

(g) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f 0 (x) is positive.

(h) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f 00 (x) is positive.

(i) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f 0 (x) is negative.

(j) Without plotting this function, find the intervals for which f 00 (x) is negative.
Application

In this activity we will think of velocity as the speed of an object in a given direction. The velocity is negative
if the object travels in the opposite direction.
Definition: Acceleration is the instantaneous rate of change of velocity.

1. The following graph shows the distance (in miles) a car has travelled on a straight road over time (in
minutes). The distance the car has travelled is increasing by more and more over the first 6 minutes.
Then from minute 6 to minute 10 the distance the car has traveled is increasing at the same rate at
which it was increasing at minute 6. Finally from minute 10 to minute 16 the distance the car has
traveled is increasing by less and less.
Sketch a graph of distance traveled as a function of time.

(a) Based on your graph above, when is the car driving fastest? Speeding up? Slowing down?

(b) Sketch a graph of the car’s velocity as a function of time.

(c) Where is the car’s acceleration positive? Negative? Zero? State if any of these are not relevant
and explain your reasoning in arriving at the answers.

(d) Write a short scenario that describes a car behaving in this manner. Be creative!
2. A particle is moving along a straight line from its starting point, S. Its velocity (in cm/second) over
time (in seconds) is shown in the following graph.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Use the graph above to answer the following questions - explain your reasoning in each case:

(a) Notice that the point (2,6) is on the graph sketched above. Explain the meaning of that point in
this context.

(b) Notice that the point (5.5,-2.75) is on the graph sketched above. Explain the meaning of that
point in this context.

(c) When is the particle’s velocity positive between t = 0 and t = 6 seconds? Negative? Zero?
(d) When is the particle’s acceleration positive between t = 0 and t = 6 seconds? Negative? Zero?

(e) When is the particle furthest from its starting point between t = 0 and t = 6 seconds?

(f) When is the particle travelling fastest between t = 0 and t = 6 seconds?

(g) Plot the particle’s distance from its starting point over time and explain in words what is happen-
ing in this graph. Mark on your graph where velocity is positive, negative or zero and similarly
where acceleration is positive, negative or zero. Explain how you created your graph below.

1 2 3 4 5 6
Homework

1. Sketch the graph of a single function f (x) that has the following characteristics:

x f (x) f 0 (x) f 00 (x)

0 - + -
1 - 0 -
2 - - 0
3 - 0 +
4 0 + +
5 + + +

Briefly explain how you made your choices.

2. A function f (x) has the following characteristics:

(a) Concave up in the interval (-2,5)

(b) Concave down in the interval (5,10)

(c) Second derivative is 0 at x = 5

(d) Has an instantaneous rate of change of 0 at x = 2, and x = 7

(e) The instantaneous rate of change is positive between x = 2 and x = 7

Circle all of the following statements that you definitely know to be true using only the above infor-
mation:

(a) f (x) has a local minimum at x = 7

(b) f (x) is increasing from x = 2 to x = 7

(c) f (x) has a local maximum at x = 5

(d) f (x) has a local minimum at x = 2

(e) f (x) has an inflection point at x = 5

(f) f (x) has a local maximum at x = 3

Sketch a graph of a function that could be f (x):