Consider the function ℎ(x)=2x3−4x2+6x−1

1. Find the derivative h′(x)

2. Determine the slope of the tangent line to the graph of h(x) at the point where x=2.

d
Find h′(x) using the power rule: ℎ′(x) = (2x3−4x2+6x−1)
dx
Step 1

Applying the power rule to each term.

h′(x)=6x −8x+6
2

next step is to determine the slope at x = 2

substitute all the x by 2 so it’ll be

h′(2)=6(2) −8(2)+6
2

h′(2)=24−16+6=14

therefore, the slope of the tangent line at x = 2 is 14

another problem:

2
2 x +4
the function g(x) =
x +1

Find the derivative g ′(x)

Determine the slope of the tangent line to the graph of g(x) at the point where x=2

To find the derivative of g ′(x) we need to use the quotient rule

d
( 2 x 2 +4 ) ( x+ 1 )−( 2 x 2+ 4 ) d (x+1)
g ′(x) = dx dx
(x +1)²

then we need to use the power rule and constant rule

 ( 4 x ) ( x+1 )−(2 x 2+ 4)(1)
g ′(x)=
(x+ 1)²

simplify

2 2
4 x +4 x −2 x −4
g ′(x) =
(x +1)²
2
2 x +4 x−4
g ′(x) =
( x +1)²

so we get the derivative of g ′(x) which is

2
2 x +4 x−4
g ′(x) =
( x +1)²

now let’s determine the slope of the tangent line to the graph of g(x) at the point where x=2

let’s simply substitute all x by 2

2(−2)²+ 4 (−2)−4
g ′(-2) =
(−2+1)²

8−8−4
g ′(-2) = =-4
1

so the slope of a tangent line where x= -2 is - 4