Derivative Function

Exam Preparation 1

S4 Math Term 2
2022-2023
 Average
Rate of Change
(Slope of a Secant line)
Slope of a Secant line

1. The slope of the secant line is also

referred to as the average rate of
change of f over the interval [a, a+h]
2. The expression

is referred to as the difference

quotient.
Work Example
What is the average rate of change of
over the interval [2, 4]?
Answer:

The Average rate of change of h over the

interval [2, 4] is 12.
Work Example Sketch to model your answer.
f(x) = -2x2 + 4x - 5
Find the average rate of change for each a = -2, b = 4 , c = -5
function over the given interval. Sketch to Vertex:
model your answer. (You may use your
calculator to obtain the graph, be sure to f(1) = -2(1)2 + 4(1) - 5 = -3 (1, -3)
label the necessary points.)
f(x) = -2x2 + 4x - 5 between x = 1 and x = 3

Answer
: x = 1; f(1) = -2(1)2 + 4(1) - 5 = -3 (1, -3)
1

x2 = 3; f(3) = -2(3)2 + 4(3) - 5 = -11 (3, -11)

Answer: The average rate of change is -4.

Graph of a Quadratic Function f(x) = -2x2 + 4x - 5
a = -2, b = 4 , c = -5
The graph of the quadratic function is
called a parabola.
For f(x) = ax2 + bx + c
 Instantaneous
Rate of Change
(Slope of a Tangent line)
Slope of a Tangent line Work Example
Find the instantaneous rate of change of f(x)
= x2 at x = 1.
Answer
NOTE:
The slope of the tangent line is also referred :
f(1) = (1)2 = 1
to as the instantaneous rate of change of f f(1+h) = (1 + h)2 = (1 + h)(1 + h)
at x. = 1 + 2h + h2

This equation solves for the slope of the

tangent line at a specific point, otherwise
known as the derivative which is most
often notated as dy/dx or f’(x).
Answer: The instantaneous rate of change at
x = 1 is 2; f’(1) = 2
Work Example
Step 3: Substitute the value of f(x) and
Consider the function f(x) = 3(x - 2) 2 - 2 f(x+h) to the formula of Instantaneous rate
Estimate the instantaneous rate of change of change (slope of the tangent line)
at x = 4
Answer
:Step 1. Find the value of f(x)
f(4) = 3(4-2)2 -2 = 3(2)2 - 2 = 10
Step 2: Find the value of f(x+h)
f(4+h) = 3(4 + h - 2)2 - 2
= 3(2 + h)2 - 2
= 3(2 + h)(2 + h) - 2
= 3(4 + 4h + h2) - 2
= 12 + 12h + 3h2 - 2 Answer: The instantaneous rate of change at
= 10 + 12h + 3h2 x = 4 is 12; f’(4) = 12
Slope of Curves;
Derivatives
Tangent line
DEFINITION: Equivalently, we may define the tangent
Let f(x) be a function defined in an open line to f(x) at a to be line passing
interval containing a. The tangent line to through the point (a, f(a)) having slope
f(x) to a is the line passing through the
point (a, f(a)) having a slope

provided this limit exists.

provided this limit exists.

Work Example Work Example
Find the slope of the line tangent to the Find the slope of the line tangent to the
graph of f(x) = x2 at x = 3. graph of f(x) = x2.
a. Write and simplify an expression for
Answer:
f(a + h).
b. Find the slope of the curve at x = a
c. Write the equation of the tangent line
to the curve at x = 3
d. Write the equation of the normal line to
the curve at x= 3
Answer: d. Write the equation of the tangent line to
the curve at x = 3 in the form of y = mx + c.
a. Write and simplify an expression for
f(a + h). Equation of the tangent line:
f(a + h) = (a + h)2 = (a + h)(a + h) y - y1 = m (x - x1)
= a2 + 2ah + h2
Coordinates: x = 3, f(x) = x2 = 32 = 9 (3, 9)
b. Find the slope of the curve at x = a Slope: 2a → 2(3) = 6
Equation of the tangent line:
y - y1 = m (x - x1)
y - 9 = 6 (x - 3)
y - 9 = 6x - 18
y = 6x - 18 + 9
y = 6x - 9
Answer:

e. Write the equation of the normal line

to the curve at x = 3

slope is perpendicular to the slope of the

tangent line:
Slope of tangent line: m1 = 6
Slope of normal line(m2): m1m2 = -1
→ 6m2 = -1 → m2 = -⅙
Work Example
At what point is the tangent line to Slope = 0
f(x) = x2 - 3x + 1 horizontal? 2x - 3 = 0
Answer: 2x = 3
x = 3/2
Tangent line is horizontal when x = 3/2
Point of tangency: x = 3/2
f(3/2) = (3/2 )2 - 3(3/2) +1
= 9/4 - 9/2 + 1
= -9/4 + 1 = - 5/4 or - 1.25
∴ The tangent line is horizontal at (3/2 , -
5/4) or at (1.5, -1.25)

Formula for slope of tangent line = 2x - 3

Horizontal lines have slope = 0
Definition of
Derivative
Definition of the Derivative (First
Principle)
The slope of a tangent line to a curve is the Some textbooks use h in place of Δx in the
definition we use for a function called the definition of derivative:
derivative.

Definition of Derivative:

The derivative of a function y = f(x) with Provided this milits exists.

respect to x is the function f’ defined by
The process of finding the derivative is called
differentiation.
provided this limit exists.
Example
Find the derivative of the function
ƒ(x) = 3x2 from first principles.
Answer:
ƒ(x+h) = 3(x+h)2
= 3(x2+2xh+h2)
= 3x2 + 6xh + 3h2

Now substitute the expressions for f(x) and

f(x+h) into the first principles formula.
Example
Find the derivative of the function
ƒ(x) = 2x + 6 from first principles.
Answer:
Gradient
Function
Example The gradient function is called the
Find, from first principles, the gradient derivative function and, if y = f(x), it is
function of f(x) = x2 + x. denoted using the notation
Answer:
If y = f(x), it is denoted using the notation

(the derivative of y with respect to x, or

‘dy by dx’), or using the notation f’(x).

In this case, = 2x - 4, as can be seen

from the graph.

The rule for finding the derivative function

for integer powers of x is:
So, the gradient at any point on the curve
f(x) = x2 + x is 2x + 1.
 Example
So, to work out the gradient function of a
Calculate the gradient function of f(x) = 2x 3.
polynomial, multiply the coefficient of x by
the power of x and subtract 1 from the Answer:
power.
f’(x) = 3(2)(x3-1)
= 6x2
In this case of y = x2 - 4x + 1,
Example
The derivative of a Calculate the gradient function of y = 5x 4.
constant is zero.
If f(x) = c → dy/dx = Answer:
0
= 4(5)(x4-1)
= 20x3
The process of finding the derivative function
called differentiation.
Example Example
Calculate the gradient function of Differentiate the function f(x) = 3 with respect
y = x2 - 4x + 1 to x.
Answer: Answer:
= 2(1)(x2-1) - 4(1)x1-1 + 0 The graph of f(x) = 3 is a horizontal line as
shown:
= 2x - 4

The derivative of a constant is zero

A horizontal line has no gradient.

Therefore for f(x) = 3 dy/dx = 0
Example
This too can be calculated using the rule of
Differentiate the function f(x) = 2x with differentiation.
respect to x. f(x) = 2x can be written as f(x) = 2x1..
So dy/dx = 1(2)x1-1
Answer:
= 2x0
The graph of f(x) = 2x is a straight line as shown: But x0 = 1, therefore dy/dx = 2.

From the earlier work on linear graphs, the

gradient is known to be 2.
Therefore for f(x) = 2x, dy/dx = 2.
Differentiating
sums and
differences
Differentiating Sums and Differences Example
Find the derivative functions of y = x 4 - 3x2 + 2
The equation of a curve may involve more
than one term and you may be asked to Answer:
differentiate expressions like
= 4(1)(x4-1) - 2(3)x2-1 + 0
y = x2 + x4 or y = 3x2 - 4x
So we have the rule: = 4x3 - 6x
Example
This rule can be extended to adding any Find the derivative functions of
number of terms together and it laso works f(x) = 5x3 - 2x2 + 6x
for subtraction. Answer:
f’(x) = 3(5)(x3-1) - 2(2)x2-1 + 1(6)x1-1

= 15x2 - 4x + 6
Example Example
Find the derivative functions of y = 4x7 + 3x6 Differentiate the function
With respect to x.
Answer: Answer:
= 7(4)(x7-1) + 6(3)x6-1

= 28x6 + 18x5
Example
Find the derivative functions of y = 8/3x 3 - 4x5

Answer:
= (3)(8/3)(x3-1) - 5(4)x5-1

= 8x2 - 20x4
Gradient of a curve
at a point
Gradient of a curve at a point
You have seen that differentiating the
equation of a curve gives the general
equation for the gradient of any point on
the curve. You can use this general
equation to calculate the gradient at a
specific point on the curve.
For example, when x = 4, f’(4) = 4 - 2 =
2.
Therefore, the gradient of the curve f(x)
= ½ x2 - 2x + 4 is 2 when x = 4, as
shown

For the function f(x) = ½ x 2 - 2x + 4, the

gradient function f’(x) = x - 2.

The gradient at any point on the curve can

be calculated using this.
Example Example
Calculate the gradient of the curve Find the gradient of the curve with equation
f(x) = x3 + x - 6 when x = -1. y = 4x3 at the point (2, 32).

Answer: Answer:

The gradient function is

f’(x) = 3(1)x3-1 + (1)x1-1 - 0
= 3x2 + 1.
So when x = - 1, the f’(-1) = 3(-1)2 + 1
= 3(1) + 1
=4
Therefore the gradient is 4; f’(-1) = 4

The gradient of the curve of equation

y = 4x3 at the point (2, 32) is 48.
Example
f(x) = 6x2 -3x3 -5x
Find the gradient of the curve y = f(x)
when x = 6.
Answer:
The gradient function is
f’(x) = 2(6)x2-1 - 3(3)x3-1 - (1)(5)x1-1
= 12x - 9x2 - 5.
So when x = 6, the f’(6) = 12(6) - 9(6) 2 - 5
= 72 - 9(36) - 5
= 72 - 324 - 5
= -257
Therefore the gradient is -257; f’(6) = -257
 Calculating the
value of x when the
gradient is given
Calculating the value of x Example
when the gradient is given A curve has gradient function\
Consider the function f(x) = x - 2x + 1
2 Work out the gradient of the curve when x = -3
It is know that the gradient at a particular point
Answer:
on the curve is 4, but the x - coordinate of that
point is not known.

The gradient function of the curve is

f’(x) = 2x - 2. = 15 - (-3)3
Since the gradient at this particular point is 4, = 15 - (-27)
the equation is f’(x) = 4. So, = 15 + 27
f’(x) = 4 = 42
2x - 2 = 4
2x = 4 + 2
2x = 6
x=3
Therefore x = 3 when the gradient of the curve
is 4.
 Example
A curve has gradient function
a. Work out the gradient of the curve when
x=9
b. Work out the values of x for which the
b. 5x - x2 = -6
rate of change of y with respect to x is -6
0 = x2 - 5x - 6
Answer: 0 = (x - 6)(x + 1)

x-6=0→x=6
x + 1 = 0 → x = -1
= 5(9) - (9)2
= 45 - 81
= -36
 Example
The function f(x) = x3 - x2 - 5 has a gradient of 8
at a point on the curve.
The values of f(x) can be calculated by
Calculate the possible coordinates of point P.
substituting the x- values in to the equation as
shown:
Answer:
f(-4/3) = (-4/3)3 - (-4/3)2 - 5
= -64/27 - 16/9 - 5
The gradient function is
= -247/27 or -9 4/27
f’(x) = 3(1)x3-1 - 2(1)x2-1 - 5
= 3x2 - 2x.
f(2) = 23 - 22 - 5
At P,
=8-4-5
3x2 - 2x = 8
= -1
3x2 - 2x - 8 = 0
Therefore the possible coordinates of P are
(3x + 4)(x - 2) = 0
(-1 ⅓ , -9 4/27) and (2, -1)
3x + 4 = 0 → 3x = -4 → x = -4/3 or -1 ⅓
x-2=0→x=2
Equation of a
Tangent Line
Equation of a Tangent Line

RECALL: RECALL:

● A tangent line is a line which locally
touches a curve at one and only one
point.
● The slope - intercept formula for a line
is y = mx + b, where m is the slope of
the line and b is the y - intercept.
● The points - slope formula for a line is
● The first derivative is an equation for
the slope of a tangent line to a curve
at an indicated point.
● The first derivative may be found
using:
A. The definition of the derivative

y - y1 = m (x - x1).
This formula uses a point on the line., B. The derivative of a power
denoted by (x1, y1), and the slope of
the line, denoted by m, to calculate
the slope - intercept formula for a line.
Equation of a Tangent Line
x = 2,
Consider the following problem: f(x) = x2
Find the equation of the tangent to f(2) = 22 = 4
f(x) = x2 at x = 2. (2, 4) [3]
Using the power rule yields the following: The only step left is to use the point (2,
f(x) = x2 4) and slope, 4, in the point - slope form
f’(x) = 2(1)x2-1 for a line, Therefore,
= 2x [1]
Therefore, at x = 2, the slope of the tangent y - y1 = m (x - x1)
line is f’(2).
f’(2) = 2(2) = 4 [2] y - 4 = 4 (x - 2)
Now, you know the slope of the tangent y - 4 = 4x - 8
line, which is 4. y = 4x - 8 + 4
All you need now is a point in a tangent line
y = 4x - 4
to be able to formulate the equation.
The equation of the tangent line is y = 4x - 4
Here is the summary of the steps you use to
find the equation of the tangent line to a curve
at an indicated point.

1. Find the first derivative of f(x).

2. Plug x value of the indicated
point into f’(x) to find the slope
at x.
3. Plug x value into f(x) to find the
y coordinate of the tangent
point.
4. Combine the slope from the
step 2 and the point from step 3
using the point - slope form to
find the equation of the tangent
line.
Example
Find the equation of the tangent line to the
curve f(x) = x3 - 3x2 + x -1 at the point x = 3.
Answer: [4] Substitute the values to the point - slope
[1] Find the gradient of the curve at x = 3: formula:
f(x) = x3 - 3x2 + x -1 y - y1 = m (x - x1)
f’(x) = 3x3-1 - 2(3)x2-1 + 1(1)x1-1 - 0 y - 2 = 10 (x - 3)
= 3x2 - 6x + x0 y - 2 = 10x - 30
f’(x) = 3x2 - 6x + 1 y = 10x - 30 + 2
y = 10x - 28
[2] Find the slope at x = 3
The equation of the tangent line to the curve
f’(3) = 3(3)2 - 6(3) + 1
f(x) = x3 - 3x2 + x - 1 at the point (3, 2) is
= 27 - 18 + 1
y = 10x - 28
f’(x) = 10
[3] Find the coordinates when x = 3
f(3) = 33 - 3(3)2 + 3 -1
= 27 - 27 + 2
=2 (3, 2)
Example
Find the points on the curve
y = x3 - 6x2 + x + 3
where the tangents are parallel to the line
[4] Substitute the values to the point - slope
y = x + 5.
formula:
Answer: y - y1 = m (x - x1)
[1] Find the gradient of the curve at x = 3: y - 2 = 10 (x - 3)
f(x) = x3 - 3x2 + x -1 y - 2 = 10x - 30
f’(x) = 3x3-1 - 2(3)x2-1 + 1(1)x1-1 - 0 y = 10x - 30 + 2
= 3x2 - 6x + x0 y = 10x - 28
f’(x) = 3x2 - 6x + 1
[2] Find the slope at x = 3 The equation of the tangent line to the curve
f’(3) = 3(3)2 - 6(3) + 1 f(x) = x3 - 3x2 + x - 1 at the point (3, 2) is
= 27 - 18 + 1 y = 10x - 28
f’(x) = 10
[3] Find the coordinates when x = 3
f(3) = 33 - 3(3)2 + 3 -1
= 27 - 27 + 2
=2 (3, 2)
Summary:
Stationary
Points
Remind me of the rule for What is turning point?
differentiating powers… ● The easiest way to think of a turning point
is that it is a point at which a curve
If y = kxn then dy/dx = knxn-1 changes from moving upwards to
moving downwards, or vice versa
● Turning points are also called stationary
points.

https://www.savemyexams.co.uk/igcse/maths_extended/cie/20/revision-notes/2-algebra--
graphs/2-16-differentiation/2-16-2-differentiation---turning-points/
● At a turning point the gradient of the
curve is zero.
○ If a tangent is drawn at a turning
point it will be a horizontal line
○ Horizontal lines have a gradient of
zero
● This means at a turning point the
derived function (aka gradient
function or derivative) equals zero. https://www.savemyexams.co.uk/igcse/maths_extended/cie/20/revision-notes/2-algebra--
graphs/2-16-differentiation/2-16-2-differentiation---turning-points/
 How do I know if a curve has
turning points?

● At IGCSE, two types of turning point are

considered:
a. Maximum points – this is where the
graph reaches a “peak”
b. Minimum points – this is where the
graph reaches a “trough”

● These are sometimes called local

maximum/minimum points as other
parts of the graph may still reach
higher/lower values
 How do I find the coordinates of a
turning points?

● STEP 1 Solve the equation of the

derived function (derivative) equal to
zero
ie. solve dy/dx = 0
This will find the x-coordinate of the
turning point
● STEP 2 To find the y-coordinate
substitute the x-coordinate into the
equation of the graph
ie. substitute x into “y = ...”
 How do I know which point is a ● For parabolas (quadratics) it should be
maximum and which is a minimum? obvious ...
● There are several ways to do this ○ ... a positive parabola (positive
- Exam questions may ask you to “give x2 term) has a minimum point
reasons” or “justify” why you think a ○ ... a negative parabola (negative
particular turning point is, say, a
maximum x2 term) has a maximum point
● The easiest way to do this is to recognise
the shape of the curve
- ... either from a given sketch of the
curve
- ... a sketch of the curve you can
quickly draw yourself
(You may even be asked to do this as
part of a question)
- ... the equation of the curve
● Cubic graphs are also easily
recognisable ...
○ ... a positive cubic has a
maximum point on the left,
minimum on the right
○ ... a negative cubic has a
minimum on the left, maximum
on the right.
Work Example
A sketch of the graph of the curve with
equation y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 1 is shown
below.
a. How many turning points does the
graph have?
b. Find an expression for the derived
function, dy/dx.
c. Find the coordinates of any turning
points on the curve.
d. Determine the nature of any turning
points you found in part (c), justify
your answer.
Work Example Answer
A sketch of the graph of the curve with :
a. How many turning points does the
equation y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 1 is shown graph have?
below.

b. Find an expression for the derived

function, dy/dx.
 Answer
Work Example
:c. Find the coordinates of any turning
A sketch of the graph of the curve with points on the curve.
equation y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 1 is shown
below.
Work Example Answer
A sketch of the graph of the curve with :
d. Determine the nature of any turning
equation y = 2x3 + 3x2 - 12x + 1 is shown points you found in part (c),
below. justify your answer.
Go to

Worksheet 1