Functions of the type $f(x)=x^n$f(x)=xn are called power functions. From our last lesson on first principles you may have begun to notice some patterns in the derivatives found, this leads to developing rules to differentiate certain functions rather than using first principles each time. Remember that the derivative gives the gradient of the tangent to the curve.
By considering the graph of $f\left(x\right)=-6$f(x)=−6, find $f'\left(4\right)$f′(4).
By considering the graph of $f\left(x\right)=2x-3$f(x)=2x−3, find $f'$f′$\left(-4\right)$(−4).
What we didn't already know:
This suggests that the derivative of a polynomial of degree $n$n is of degree $n-1$n−1, for integer values of $n\ge1$n≥1.
Looking further at just examples of functions of the form $f(x)=x^n$f(x)=xn, we have:
$f(x)$f(x) | $f'(x)$f′(x) |
---|---|
$x$x | $1$1 |
$x^2$x2 | $2x$2x |
$x^3$x3 | $3x^2$3x2 |
$x^4$x4 | $4x^3$4x3 |
$x^5$x5 | $5x^4$5x4 |
Noticing the pattern in the table, we could make the conjecture that the derivative of $f(x)=x^n$f(x)=xn is $f'(x)=nx^{n-1}$f′(x)=nxn−1. This is in fact the case and we call this formula the power rule. The power rule applies to not only positive integer values of $n$n but for $n$n being any real number. Once we establish the rule we can use the power rule as a shortcut to find the derivative without having to use first principles every time.
For a function $f(x)=x^n$f(x)=xn, the derivative is $f'(x)=nx^{n-1}$f′(x)=nxn−1, for $n$n any real number.
Let's try applying this rule and then look in detail of how to establish this rule using first principles.
Find the derivatives of the following functions using the power rule.
Think: The power rule tells us "bring the power to the front and then subtract one from the power".
(a) $f(x)=x^2$f(x)=x2
Thus, $f'(x)=2x$f′(x)=2x.
(b) $g(m)=m^4$g(m)=m4
Thus, $g'(m)=4m^3$g′(m)=4m3.
(c) $h(t)=t^{\frac{3}{2}}$h(t)=t32
Thus,
$h'(t)$h′(t) | $=$= | $\frac{3}{2}t^{\frac{3}{2}-1}$32t32−1 |
$=$= | $\frac{3}{2}t^{\frac{1}{2}}$32t12 |
(d) $g(x)=\frac{1}{x^4}$g(x)=1x4
Think: Firstly we need the function in power form, recall from index laws that $\frac{1}{x^n}=x^{-n}$1xn=x−n, so we have $g(x)=x^{-4}$g(x)=x−4.
Do: Now we can use the power rule and see that $g'(x)=-4x^{-5}$g′(x)=−4x−5. Take care with negative powers, remember that $-4-1=-5$−4−1=−5.
Find the derivative of $f(x)=x^2\sqrt{x}$f(x)=x2√x and hence, find the gradient of the tangent to the function at $x=4$x=4.
Think: First use index laws to write the function in the form $f(x)=x^n$f(x)=xn.
$f(x)$f(x) | $=$= | $x^2\sqrt{x}$x2√x |
$=$= | $x^2\times x^{\frac{1}{2}}$x2×x12 | |
$=$= | $x^{\frac{5}{2}}$x52 |
Do: Now we can use the power rule to find the derivative.
$f'(x)$f′(x) | $=$= | $\frac{5}{2}x^{\frac{5}{2}-1}$52x52−1 |
$=$= | $\frac{5}{2}x^{\frac{3}{2}}$52x32 |
Lastly, we were asked to find the gradient of the tangent at $x=4$x=4, so evaluate $f'(4)$f′(4):
$f'(4)$f′(4) | $=$= | $\frac{5}{2}\left(4\right)^{\frac{3}{2}}$52(4)32 |
$=$= | $20$20 |
We will look at proving the power rule for positive integers $n$n using first principles. To prove the more general case requires knowledge for differentiation of exponential functions which you will encounter in year $12$12.
Using first principles for a function $f(x)=x^n$f(x)=xn, the derivative $f'(x)$f′(x) is defined to be:
$f'(x)$f′(x) | $=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{f(x+h)-f(x)}{h}$limh→0f(x+h)−f(x)h |
$=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{\left(x+h\right)^n-x^n}{h}$limh→0(x+h)n−xnh |
From here we have two choices for how to move forward, we can expand $\left(x+h\right)^n-x^n$(x+h)n−xn or we can factorise it. Let's look at both briefly and we should arrive at the same conclusion.
Method 1 - expansion
To expand $\left(x+h\right)^n-x^n$(x+h)n−xn, recall the binomial theorem, we will get something of the form:
$\left(x+h\right)^n-x^n=x^n+nhx^{n-1}+...+nh^{n-1}x+h^n-x^n$(x+h)n−xn=xn+nhxn−1+...+nhn−1x+hn−xn
As the central terms of the expansion will all contain a factor of $h$h when the limit is taken they will not impact our final result and so let's use this shorthand version.
Hence,
$f'(x)$f′(x) | $=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{(x+h)^n-x^n}{h}$limh→0(x+h)n−xnh | |
$=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{x^n+nhx^{n-1}+...+nh^{n-1}x+h^n-x^n}{h}$limh→0xn+nhxn−1+...+nhn−1x+hn−xnh | ||
$=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{nhx^{n-1}+...+nh^{n-1}x+h^n}{h}$limh→0nhxn−1+...+nhn−1x+hnh | The first and last term of the expansion cancelled out | |
$=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{h(nx^{n-1}+...nh^{n-2}x+h^{n-1})}{h}$limh→0h(nxn−1+...nhn−2x+hn−1)h | Factor out an $h$h from each term in the numerator | |
$=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}(nx^{n-1}+...+nh^{n-2}x+h^{n-1})$limh→0(nxn−1+...+nhn−2x+hn−1) | Divide by $h$h | |
$=$= | $nx^{n-1}$nxn−1 | Take the limit by letting $h=0$h=0 and all but the first term will disappear |
Method 2 - factorisation
For this we require the knowledge that $a^n-b^n$an−bn factorises as:
$a^n-b^n=(a-b)(a^{n-1}+a^{n-2}b+a^{n-3}b^2+a^{n-4}b^3+......+ab^{n-2}+b^{n-1})$an−bn=(a−b)(an−1+an−2b+an−3b2+an−4b3+......+abn−2+bn−1)
Using this factorisation we can determine a new form for $(x+h)^n-x^n$(x+h)n−xn:
$(x+h)^n-x^n$(x+h)n−xn | $=$= | $[(x+h)-x][(x+h)^{n-1}+x(x+h)^{n-2}+x^2(x+h)^{n-3}+x^3(x+h)^{n-4}+......+x^{n-1}]$[(x+h)−x][(x+h)n−1+x(x+h)n−2+x2(x+h)n−3+x3(x+h)n−4+......+xn−1] | |
$=$= | $h[(x+h)^{n-1}+x(x+h)^{n-2}+x^2(x+h)^{n-3}+x^3(x+h)^{n-4}+......+x^{n-1}]$h[(x+h)n−1+x(x+h)n−2+x2(x+h)n−3+x3(x+h)n−4+......+xn−1] | Simplifying the first bracket |
Hence,
$f'(x)$f′(x) | $=$= | $\lim_{h\rightarrow0}\frac{(x+h)^n-x^n}{h}$limh→0(x+h)n−xnh | |
$=$= |
$\lim_{h\to0}\left(\frac{h\left[\left(x+h\right)^{n-1}+x\left(x+h\right)^{n-2}+x^2\left(x+h\right)^{n-3}+x^3\left(x+h\right)^{n-4}+...x^{n-1}\right]}{h}\right)$limh→0(h[(x+h)n−1+x(x+h)n−2+x2(x+h)n−3+x3(x+h)n−4+...xn−1]h) |
||
$=$= |
$\lim_{h\to0}\left(\left(x+h\right)^{n-1}+x\left(x+h\right)^{n-2}+x^2\left(x+h\right)^{n-3}+x^3\left(x+h\right)^{n-4}+...x^{n-1}\right)$limh→0((x+h)n−1+x(x+h)n−2+x2(x+h)n−3+x3(x+h)n−4+...xn−1) |
Divide by $h$h | |
$=$= |
$x^{n-1}+x\left(x\right)^{n-2}+x^2\left(x\right)^{n-3}+x^3\left(x\right)^{n-4}+...x^{n-1}$xn−1+x(x)n−2+x2(x)n−3+x3(x)n−4+...xn−1 |
Take the limit by letting $h=0$h=0 | |
$=$= | $x^{n-1}+x^{n-2+1}+x^{n-3+2}+x^{n-4+3}+...x^{n-1}$xn−1+xn−2+1+xn−3+2+xn−4+3+...xn−1 | Rewriting powers using index laws | |
$=$= |
$x^{n-1}+x^{n-1}+x^{n-1}+x^{n-1}+...x^{n-1}$xn−1+xn−1+xn−1+xn−1+...xn−1 |
Simplify powers | |
$=$= | $nx^{n-1}$nxn−1 | Each power was the same and there were $n$nterms |
Find the gradient of $f\left(x\right)=x^4$f(x)=x4 at $x=2$x=2.
Denote this gradient by $f'\left(2\right)$f′(2).
Consider the function $y=\frac{1}{x^2}$y=1x2.
Rewrite the function in negative index form.
Determine the derivative of $y=\frac{1}{x^2}$y=1x2.
Determine the derivative of $y=x^{\frac{6}{5}}$y=x65.
Use the applet below to explore how the gradient of the tangent changes at different points along $y=x^2$y=x2. Then answer the questions that follow.
Which feature of the gradient function tells us whether $y=x^2$y=x2 is increasing or decreasing?
The gradient function is decreasing when $y=x^2$y=x2 is increasing, and increasing when $y=x^2$y=x2 is decreasing.
The gradient function is increasing when $y=x^2$y=x2 is increasing, and decreasing when $y=x^2$y=x2 is decreasing.
The gradient function is negative when $y=x^2$y=x2 is increasing, and positive when $y=x^2$y=x2 is decreasing.
The gradient function is positive when $y=x^2$y=x2 is increasing, and negative when $y=x^2$y=x2 is decreasing.
For $x>0$x>0, is the gradient of the tangent positive or negative?
Positive
Negative
For $x\ge0$x≥0, as the value of $x$x increases how does the gradient of the tangent line change?
The gradient of the tangent line increases at a constant rate.
The gradient of the tangent line increases at an increasing rate.
The gradient of the tangent line remains constant.
For $x<0$x<0, is the gradient of the tangent positive or negative?
Positive
Negative
For $x<0$x<0, as the value of $x$x increases how does the gradient of the tangent line change?
The gradient of the tangent line remains constant.
The gradient of the tangent line increases at a constant rate.
The gradient of the tangent line increases at an increasing rate.
Complete the following statement:
"For $y=x^2$y=x2, the gradient of the tangent line changes at a constant rate. This means the derivative $y'$y′ is a function."
cubic
linear
constant
quadratic