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Power Rule
Power Rule
If 5
f ( x) x
Then,
5 1 4
f '( x) 5 x 5x
Try it on the following examples
f ( x) x 2
f ( x) x
f ( x) x 3
f ( x) x 3/ 2
Answers – (You should be able to
fill in the middle steps)
f ( x) x 2 f '( x) 2 x
f ( x) x f '( x) 1
3 4
f ( x) x f '( x) 3x
3/ 2 1/ 2
f ( x) x f '( x) x 3
2
Examples with radicals – (You should
have reviewed power functions first.)
f ( x) x
f ( x) 3 x
5 2
f ( x) x
f ( x) x x
Examples with radicals – (Review
negative powers as needed, too.)
f ( x)
x x1/ 2 f '( x ) 12 x 1/ 2 1
2 x
3 1/ 3 2 / 3
f ( x) x x f '( x) x1
3 1
3 3 x2
f ( x) 5 x 2 x 2 / 5 f '( x ) 52 x 3/ 5 2
5 5 x3
1
f ( x)
x
1
f ( x) 2
x
1
f ( x) 4
x
Examples with fractions.
1 1
f ( x) x 1 2
f '( x) x 2
x x
1 2 3 2
f ( x) 2 x f '( x) 2 x 3
x x
1 4
f ( x) 4 x 4 5
f '( x) 4 x 5
x x
The Constant Multiple Rule
3
f ( x) 4 x
3
f ( x) 4 x
Take the derivative
using the power rule.
2
f '( x) 4 3 x
2
f '( x) 12 x
Now you try a few:
f ( x) 6 x
Answers
5 10
f ( x) 2 5 x 2 3
f '( x) 10 x 3
x x
1/ 2 1/ 2 3
f ( x) 6 x 6 x f '( x) 3 x
x
The Derivative of a Constant
of x2 is 2x
- of 4x is 4
+ of 6 is 0
f '( x) 2 x 4
Now you try a few:
7 4
f ( x) 5 x 3 x 2 x 1
5 22
f ( x) x
x
Answers:
7 4
f ( x ) 5 x 3 x 2x 1 Use the
power rule
on each
f '( x) 35 x 6 12 x 3 2 term.
5 22
f ( x) x
x
Rewrite f(x) so that each
term is written as a power
of x.
f ( x) x 5 / 2 22 x 1
f '( x) 52 x 3/ 2 22 x 2
3 22
f '( x) 5
2 x 2
x
Using the power rule:
f '(4) 2 4
1
1
4
Using the power rule:
y mx b
2 14 (4) b
2 1 b
1 b equation : y 14 x 1
Using the power rule:
Graph both.
f ( x) x y x 1
1
4
Other wording . . .
dy
x x0
dx where ” , and they tell you that
f ( x) x and x0 4
f '(4).
it means to find the derivative when x = 4: