THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE

Differentiation
➢ is the process of finding the derivative of a function.

Notations commonly used to denote the derivatives of a

function defined by 𝒚 = 𝒇 𝒙 :
read as,
𝑑𝑦
, 𝑦′ , 𝐷𝑥 𝑦 " 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦
𝑑𝑥 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
To find the derivative of a function 𝒚 = 𝒇 𝒙 ,
use the slope formula:

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑦 ∆𝑦
𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑝𝑒 = =
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑥 ∆𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
𝑦 𝑥 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑥 𝑡𝑜 ∆𝑥
𝑦 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑦 𝑡𝑜 ∆𝑦 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥)
𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) 𝑇ℎ𝑢𝑠
𝑃′ ∆𝑦 𝑓 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 𝑓(𝑥)
=
𝑓(𝑥 + ∆𝑥) ∆𝑥 ∆𝑥
∆𝑦
𝑃
𝑇𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 ∆𝑥 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑠 𝑧𝑒𝑟𝑜
𝑓(𝑥)
𝑦 ∆𝑦 𝑓 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 𝑓(𝑥)
lim = lim
∆𝑥→0 ∆𝑥 ∆𝑥→0 ∆𝑥
𝑥
𝑥 ∆𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Fundamental Definition:
The derivative of 𝒚 with respect to 𝒙 is the limit of the
∆𝑦
ratio when ∆𝑥 approaches zero.
∆𝑥
𝒅𝒚
The derivative is designated by the symbol,
𝒅𝒙

𝑑𝑦 ∆𝑦 𝑓 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 𝑓(𝑥 )
= lim = lim
𝑑𝑥 ∆𝑥→0 ∆𝑥 ∆𝑥→0 ∆𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Determination of the derivative (General Process)
1. Replace 𝑥 by 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 and 𝑦 4. Divide both members by ∆𝑥
by 𝑦 + ∆𝑦
𝑦 = 𝑓(𝑥) 1 Δ𝑦 𝑓 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 𝑓(𝑥 )
=
Δ𝑥 ∆𝑥
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 2
2. Eliminate y by subtraction, (2-1) 5. Determine the limit as ∆𝑥
thus solving ∆𝑦 approaches zero
3
∆𝑦 = 𝑓 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 𝑓(𝑥)
3. Express ∆x as a factor at the right
member of 3 .
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Examples:
𝒅𝒚
Find the derivative, . 2. Subtract 1 from 2
𝒅𝒙
Given: 𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 + 6𝑥∆𝑥 + 3∆𝑥 2 + 5
A. 𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 + 5 −(𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 + 5)
Solution: ∆𝑦 = 6𝑥∆𝑥 + 3∆𝑥 2
1. 𝑦 = 3𝑥 2 + 5 1 3. ∆𝑦 = ∆𝑥(6𝑥 + 3∆𝑥)
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 3(𝑥 + ∆𝑥)2 +5 4.
Δ𝑦 ∆𝑥(6𝑥 + 3∆𝑥)
=
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 3 𝑥 2 + 2𝑥∆𝑥 + ∆𝑥 2 + 5 Δ𝑥 ∆𝑥
Δ𝑦
2
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 6𝑥∆𝑥 + 3∆𝑥 + 52 2 Δ𝑥
= 6𝑥 + 3∆𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Examples:
𝒅𝒚 Δ𝑦
Find the derivative, . 5. lim = lim 6𝑥 + 3∆𝑥
𝒅𝒙
∆𝑥→0 Δ𝑥 ∆𝑥→0
Given:
𝑑𝑦 Δ𝑦
2
A. 𝑦 = 3𝑥 + 5 = lim Δ𝑥
𝑑𝑥 ∆𝑥→0
Solution: 𝑑𝑦
= 6𝑥 + (0)
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑦
= 6𝑥
𝑑𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
1 1
Examples: 2. ∆𝑦 = −
𝒅𝒚 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2 𝑥 − 2
Find the derivative, .
𝒅𝒙
𝑥 − 2 − 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2
Given: ∆𝑦 =
1 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2 (𝑥 − 2)
B. 𝑦 = 𝑥−2
𝑥 − 2 − 𝑥 − ∆𝑥 + 2
Solution: ∆𝑦 =
𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2 (𝑥 − 2)
1
1. 𝑦= 1 −∆𝑥
𝑥−2 3. ∆𝑦 =
1
𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2 (𝑥 − 2)
𝑦 + ∆𝑦 = 𝑥+∆𝑥 −2
2 −∆𝑥
4. Δ𝑦 𝑥+∆𝑥 −2 (𝑥−2)
=
Δ𝑥 ∆𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Examples:
𝒅𝒚 Δ𝑦 −1
Find the derivative, . 5. lim = lim
𝒅𝒙 ∆𝑥→0 Δ𝑥 ∆𝑥→0 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2 (𝑥 − 2)
Given:
1
B. 𝑦 = 𝑥−2 𝑑𝑦 Δ𝑦
= lim
Solution: 𝑑𝑥 ∆𝑥→0 Δ𝑥
−∆𝑥 𝑑𝑦 −1
4. Δ𝑦 𝑥+∆𝑥 −2 (𝑥−2) =
Δ𝑥
= ∆𝑥
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 + 0 − 2)(𝑥 − 2
Δ𝑦 −1 𝑑𝑦 1
= =−
Δ𝑥 𝑥 + ∆𝑥 − 2 (𝑥 − 2) 𝑑𝑥 𝑥−2 2
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Exercises:

Find the derivative of the following:

1. 𝑦 = 𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 + 3
3
2. 𝑦=
𝑥+1
1
3. 𝑦 = 5 + 2𝑥 −
𝑥
THE DERIVATIVE, SLOPE, AND THE RATE OF CHANGE
Derivative Interpreted
as Slope, 𝒎 : Rate of Change:
𝑑𝑦 𝑑𝑦 Δ𝑦
=𝑚 = lim
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 ∆𝑥→0 Δ𝑥

Since: 𝑚 = tan ∝
𝑑𝑦 rate of change of 𝑦
=
𝑑𝑥 with respect to 𝑥
Δ𝑦
𝑚=
Δ𝑥
end