Question

1. (5pts) Find the derivatives of the function using the definition of derivative.


1. Differentiate each of the following functions. (Do not use the product rule and quotient rule.)

Answer 1

2.8.1

$f(x) = \dfrac4{\sqrt{3-x}}$

By definition of the derivative,

$f'(x) = \displaystyle \lim_{h\to0} \frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}{h}$

We have

$f(x+h) = \dfrac4{\sqrt{3-(x+h)}}$

and

$f(x+h)-f(x) = \dfrac4{\sqrt{3-(x+h)}} - \dfrac4{\sqrt{3-x}}$

Combine these fractions into one with a common denominator:

$f(x+h)-f(x) = \dfrac{4\sqrt{3-x} - 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-(x+h)}}$

Rationalize the numerator by multiplying uniformly by the conjugate of the numerator, and simplify the result:

$f(x+h) - f(x) = \dfrac{\left(4\sqrt{3-x} - 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)} \\\\ f(x+h) - f(x) = \dfrac{\left(4\sqrt{3-x}\right)^2 - \left(4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)^2}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)} \\\\ f(x+h) - f(x) = \dfrac{16(3-x) - 16(3-(x+h))}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)} \\\\ f(x+h) - f(x) = \dfrac{16h}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)}$

Now divide this by h and take the limit as h approaches 0 :

$\dfrac{f(x+h)-f(x)}h = \dfrac{16}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-(x+h)}\right)} \\\\ \displaystyle \lim_{h\to0}\frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}h = \dfrac{16}{\sqrt{3-x}\sqrt{3-x}\left(4\sqrt{3-x} + 4\sqrt{3-x}\right)} \\\\ \implies f'(x) = \dfrac{16}{4\left(\sqrt{3-x}\right)^3} = \boxed{\dfrac4{(3-x)^{3/2}}}$

3.1.1.

$f(x) = 4x^5 - \dfrac1{4x^2} + \sqrt[3]{x} - \pi^2 + 10e^3$

Differentiate one term at a time:

• power rule

$\left(4x^5\right)' = 4\left(x^5\right)' = 4\cdot5x^4 = 20x^4$

$\left(\dfrac1{4x^2}\right)' = \dfrac14\left(x^{-2}\right)' = \dfrac14\cdot-2x^{-3} = -\dfrac1{2x^3}$

$\left(\sqrt[3]{x}\right)' = \left(x^{1/3}\right)' = \dfrac13 x^{-2/3} = \dfrac1{3x^{2/3}}$

The last two terms are constant, so their derivatives are both zero.

So you end up with

$f'(x) = \boxed{20x^4 + \dfrac1{2x^3} + \dfrac1{3x^{2/3}}}$