- Difficulty
- Introductory
- Suggested time
- 3 min
- Marks
- 2
The chain rule and logarithms practice question 2
Let . Which of the following is ?
Where does the square sit in : on , or on the value of ? Test each choice against the rule for a function of a function.
is sine applied to : a composition, not a product. The outer function is , the inner function is .
Theory UBC Math 100 §4.3CLP-1 §2.9Key results
Worked solution
Strategy
Identify the composition, differentiate the outer function at the inner one, and multiply by the inner derivative.
Working
Outer: sin. Inner: x².
Derivative of sin is cos, evaluated at the inside; times the inner derivative 2x.
Answer
The answer is 2x times cosine of x squared.
Check
At x = √(π/2) the inside x² is π/2, where sine peaks at 1, so F′ must be 0 there, and 2x cos(x²) is.
Where this goes wrong
Choosing 2 sin x cos x, which is the derivative of (sin x)², a different function. Where the square sits, inside or outside the sine, changes everything.
Leans on
Parsing a composite formula, from Functions, graphs and inverses
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