Table of contents
- 0. Functions7h 52m
- Introduction to Functions16m
- Piecewise Functions10m
- Properties of Functions9m
- Common Functions1h 8m
- Transformations5m
- Combining Functions27m
- Exponent rules32m
- Exponential Functions28m
- Logarithmic Functions24m
- Properties of Logarithms34m
- Exponential & Logarithmic Equations35m
- Introduction to Trigonometric Functions38m
- Graphs of Trigonometric Functions44m
- Trigonometric Identities47m
- Inverse Trigonometric Functions48m
- 1. Limits and Continuity2h 2m
- 2. Intro to Derivatives1h 33m
- 3. Techniques of Differentiation3h 18m
- 4. Applications of Derivatives2h 38m
- 5. Graphical Applications of Derivatives6h 2m
- 6. Derivatives of Inverse, Exponential, & Logarithmic Functions2h 37m
- 7. Antiderivatives & Indefinite Integrals1h 26m
3. Techniques of Differentiation
Basic Rules of Differentiation
Problem 3.30
Textbook Question
Derivatives Find the derivative of the following functions. See Example 2 of Section 3.2 for the derivative of √x.
f(s) = √s/4
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1
Step 1: Rewrite the function f(s) = \frac{\sqrt{s}}{4} in a form that is easier to differentiate. Recall that \sqrt{s} can be expressed as s^{1/2}. Therefore, f(s) = \frac{s^{1/2}}{4}.
Step 2: Apply the constant multiple rule of differentiation. The constant multiple rule states that the derivative of a constant times a function is the constant times the derivative of the function. Here, the constant is \frac{1}{4}. So, we need to find the derivative of s^{1/2} and then multiply it by \frac{1}{4}.
Step 3: Differentiate s^{1/2} using the power rule. The power rule states that if f(x) = x^n, then f'(x) = nx^{n-1}. Applying this to s^{1/2}, we get \frac{1}{2}s^{-1/2}.
Step 4: Multiply the result from Step 3 by the constant \frac{1}{4} from Step 2. This gives us \frac{1}{4} \times \frac{1}{2}s^{-1/2}.
Step 5: Simplify the expression obtained in Step 4. Combine the constants \frac{1}{4} and \frac{1}{2} to get \frac{1}{8}. Therefore, the derivative of f(s) is \frac{1}{8}s^{-1/2}.
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