MATH SL

TEST
DERIVATIVES
(WITHOUT GDC)
by Christos Nikolaidis

SOLUTIONS

1. [Maximum mark 30]

Differentiate the following functions:
2x5  x  3
(a) f ( x)  4 x ln x (b) f ( x) 
x2

(c) f ( x)  ln( x 4  5) (d) f ( x)  x 4  5

(e) f ( x)  sin 2 x  sin 3 x (f) f ( x)  sin 2 x  sin 3 x
x 1
(g) f ( x)  (h) f ( x)  2e 2 x cos 5 x
x2
5
(i) f ( x)  (j) f ( x)  e sin( 5 x 3)
( 2 x  3) 2
[3 marks each]
Solution
1 4 x 2 4 x
(a) f (x)  4 lnx   lnx 
2 x x x x
1 6
(b) f(x)  2x 3  x 1  3x 2 , so f (x)  6x 2  x 2  6x 3  6x 2  2
 3
x x
4x 3
(c) f (x) 
x4  5
1 2x 3
(d) f (x)  (4x 3 ) 
2 x4 5 x2 5
(e) f (x)  2cos2x  3cos3x
(f) f (x)  2sinxcosx  3sin 2 xcosx
(x  2) - (x  1) 1
(g) f (x)  2

(x  2) (x  2) 2

(h) f (x)  4e 2x cos5x  10e 2x sin5x

 20
(i) f(x)  5(2x  3) 2 , so f (x)  10(2x  3) 3 2 
(2x  3) 3
(j) f (x)  5e sin(5x 3) cos(5x  3)

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2. [Maximum mark 6]
Show, by using first principles, that the derivative of the function f ( x)  2 x 2  3 x  2
is f ( x)  4 x  3
[6 marks]
Solution

f(x  h)  f(x) [2(x  h) 2  3(x  h)  2] - [2x 2  3x  2]

f (x)  lim  lim
h 0 h h0 h
2(x 2  2xh  h 2 )  3x  3h  2 - 2x 2  3x  2
 lim
h0 h
2x 2  4 xh  2h 2  3h - 2x 2
 lim
h0 h
h(4x  2h  3)
 lim
h 0 h
 lim (4x  2h  3)  4x - 3
h 0

= 4x-3

3. [Maximum mark 6]
Let f ( x)  ax 3  bx 2  x
The point A(1,5) lies on the curve y  f (x) . Given that the gradient of the curve at
point A is 10, find the values of a and b,

Solution
f (x)  3ax 2  2bx  1

f(1)  5  a  b  1  5  a  b  4 (1)

fɺ(1)  10  3a  2b  1  10  3a  2b  9 (2)

(2)-2×(1): 3a-2a=9-8  a=1

(1): b=3

The solution of the system is a=1, b=3

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4. [Maximum mark 10]
ln x
Let f ( x )  3 .
x
(a) Solve the equation f ( x )  0 [5 marks]

 1 1 
The graph of the function has a local maximum at point A  e a , 
 be 

(b) Find the values of the integers a and b [3 marks]
(c) Justify that A is local maximum. [2 marks]

Solution
1 3
x  3x 2lnx
x 2  3x 2lnx x 2 (1  3lnx) 1  3lnx
(a) f (x)  x   
x6 x6 x6 x4

f (x)  0  1  3lnx  0  3lnx  1  lnx 

1
3

 x  e 1/3  3 e 
(b) The local minimum is at x  e 1/3
1
lne 1/3 1
Then y=  3 
e 
1/3 3 e 3e

Thus a=3, b=3

(c)

x 1 e 1/3 e

f (x) - +

max

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5. [Maximum mark 8]
Given the table
x 2 4
f (x) 4 3
f (x) –2 –5
g (x) 6 7
g (x) –4 4
calculate
d
(a) 2 f ( x)  3g ( x) at x  2 [2 marks]
dx
d  f ( x) 
(b) at x  2 [3 marks]
dx  g ( x) 

(c)
d 2
dx

x f ( x)  at x  2 [3 marks]

Solution

(a) 2f (x)  3g (x) ,

so at x  2 ,

2f (2)  3g (2)  2( 2)  3( 4)  16

f (x)g(x)  f(x)g (x)

(b) ,
g(x) 2

so at x  2 ,

f (2)g(2)  f(2)g (2) ( 2)(6)  (4)( 4) 4 1

2
 2
 
g(2) 6 36 9

(c) 2xf(x)  x 2 f (x) ,

so at x  2 ,

4f(2)  4f (2)  4(4)  4( 2)  8

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6. [Maximum mark 10]
Let f ( x)  2 x 3  3 x 2  8 .
(a) Find f ( 1) and f (1) [3 marks]
(b) Find the equations of the tangent line and the normal line
(i) at x = – 1
(ii) at x = 1 [7 marks]
Solution
(a) f (x)  6x 2  6x ,

hence f ( 1)  12 , f (1)  0

(b) (i) f( 1)  2  3  8  3 , point (-1,3) m T  12

Tangent line: y  3  12(x  1) [i.e. y  12x  15 ]

1
Normal line: y  3   (x  1)
12
(ii) f(1)  2  3  8  7 point (1,7) mT  0

Tangent line: y  7

Normal line: x  1

7. [Maximum mark 10]

Let f ( x)  2( x  1)( x  3) 2 ( x  5) .
(a) Write down the x-coordinates of the stationary points of f (x ) [2 marks]
(b) For each stationary point, determine whether the graph of the
function has a local maximum, a local minimum or neither. [4 marks]
(c) Show that f (3)  0 [4 marks]
Solution
(a) f (x)  0 when x  1 , x  3 , x  5

(b)

x 1 3 5

f (x) + - - +

max min

(c) f (x)  2(x  3) 2 (x  5)  4(x  1)(x  3)(x  5)  2(x  1)(x  3) 2

f (3)  0  0  0  0

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