APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES BASICS

Derivatives can be used to (i) determine rate of change of quantities(ii)to find the
equation of tangent and normal(iii)to find turning points on the graph of a function(iv)
calculate nth root of a rational number (v) errors in calculations using differentials.
Whenever one quantity y varies with another x satisfying some rule y =f(x), then
dx
dy
or
f'(x) represents the rate of change of y with respect to x.
If
dx
dy
is positive if y and x increases together and it is negative if y decreases as x
increases.
The equation of the tangent at (x
0
, y
0
) to the curve y =f (x) is: y y
0
=f '(x
0
).(x x
0
)
Slope of a tangent =
dx
dy
= tan
The equation of the normal to the curve y =f (x) at (x
0
, y
0
) is: (y y
0
)f '(x
0
) +(x x
0
) =0
Slope of Normal =
dy
dx
tangent of slope
1
=
The angle of intersection of two curves is defined to be the angle between the tangents to
the two curves at their point of intersection.
Let f be a continuous function on [a,b] and differentiable on (a,b).Then
o f is increasing in[a,b] if f '(x) >0 for each x e(a,b)
o f is decreasing in[a,b] if f '(x) <0 for each xe(a,b)
o f is constant in[a,b] if f' (x) =0 for each xe(a,b)
A function which is either increasing or decreasing is called a monotonic function
Let f be a function defined on I. Then
f is said to have a maximum value in I, if there exists a point c in I such that f (c) >f (x),
for all xe I. The number f (c) is called the maximum value of f in I and the point c is
called a point of maximum value of f in I.
f is said to have a minimum value in I, if there exists a point c in I such that f (c) <f (x),
for all x e I. The number f (c), in this case, is called the minimum value of f in I and the
point c, in this case, is called a point of minimum value of f in I.
f is said to have an extreme value in I if there exists a point c in I such that f (c) is either a
maximum value or a minimum value of f in I. The number f (c) , in this case, is called an
extreme value of f in I and the point c, is called an extreme point.
Every monotonic function assumes its maximum/ minimum value at the end points of the
domain of definition of the function.
Every continuous function on a closed interval has a maximum and a minimum value
Derivative of a function at the point c represents the slope of tangent to the given curve at
a point x =c.
If f '(c) =0 i.e. derivative at a point x =c vanishes, which means slope of the tangent at x
=c is zero. Geometrically, this will imply that this tangent is parallel to x axis so x =c
will come out to be a turning point of the curve. Such points where graph takes a turn are
called extreme points.
Let f be a real valued function and let c be an interior point in the domain of f. Then
(a). c is called a point of local maxima if there is h >0 such that f (c) >f (x), for all x in
(c h, c +h). The value f (c) is called the local maximum value of f.
(b). c is called point of local minima if there is an h >0 such that f (c) <f (x), for all x in
(c h, c +h). The value f (c) is called the local minimum value of f.
Let f be a function defined on an open interval I. Suppose c e I be any point. If f has a
local maxima or a local minima at x =c, then either f ' (c) =0 or f is not differentiable at
c.
Second Derivative Test: Let f be a function defined on an interval I & c e I. Let f be
twice differentiable at c. Then
(i) x =c is a point of local maxima if f ' (c) =0 & f '' (c) <0.
(ii) x =c is a point of local minima if f '(c) =0 and f '' (c) >0
(iii) The test fails if f '(c) =0 & f '' (c) =0. In that case by first derivative test, find
whether c is a point of maxima, minima or a point of inflexion.
Working Rule to find the intervals in which the function f(x) increases or decreases
o Differentiate f(x) first i.e. find f '(x)
o Simplify f(x) and factorise it if possible in case of polynomial functions.
o Equate f '(x) to zero to obtain the zeroes of the polynomial in case of polynomial
functions and angles in the given interval in case of trigonometric functions.
o Divide the given interval or the real line into disjoint subintervals and then find the
sign f '(x) in each interval to check whether f(x) is increasing or decreasing in a
particular interval.
Let f be a continuous function on an interval I =[a, b]. Then f has the absolute maximum
in it at least once in I. Also, f has the absolute minimum value in it at least once in I.
Let f be a differentiable function on a closed interval I and let c be any interior point of I.
Then
f '(c) =0 if f attains its absolute maximum value at c.
f '(c) =0 if f attains its absolute minimum value at c.
Working Rule for finding the absolute maximum and minimum values in the interval
[a,b]
Step 1: Find all critical points of f in the interval, i.e., find points x where either f '(x) =0
or f is not differentiable
Step 2: Take the end points of the interval.
Step 3: At all these points (listed in Step 1 and 2), calculate the values of f.
Step 4: Identify, the maximum and minimum values of f out of the values calculated in
Step 3. This maximum and minimum value will be the absolute maximum (greatest)
value f and the minimum value will be the absolute minimum (least) value of f.
Let y =f(x), Ax be small increments in x and Ay be small increments in y corresponding
to the increment in x, i.e., Ay =f(x +Ax) f(x). Then x
dx
dy
y A
|
.
|

\
|
= A In this case Ay ~ dy
and Ax ~ dx













BASIC QUESTIONS

1. A stone is dropped into a quiet lake and waves move in circles at the speed of 5 cm/s. At the
instant when the radius of the circular wave is 8 cm, how fast is the enclosed area
increasing?
2. A ladder 5 m long is leaning against a wall. The bottom of the ladder is pulled along the
ground, away from the wall, at the rate of 2cm/s. How fast is its height on the wall
decreasing when the foot of the ladder is 4 m away from the wall ?
3. The total cost C(x) in Rupees associated with the production of x units of an item is given by
C(x) =0.007x
3
0.003x
2
+15x +4000.Find the marginal cost when 17 units are produced.
4. Find the intervals in which the function f given by f (x) =2x
2
3x is (a) strictly increasing (b)
strictly decreasing
5. Prove that u
u +
u
=
) cos 2 (
sin 4
y is an increasing function of u in
(

t
2
, 0
6. Find the least value of a such that the function f given by f (x) =x
2
+ax +1 is strictly
increasing on (1, 2).
7. Find the slope of the tangent to the curve y =3x
4
4x at x =4.
8. Find the slope of the normal to the curve x =1 a sin, y =bcos
2
at = t/2
9. Find the equation of all lines having slope 2 which are tangents to curve 3 x ,
3 x
1
y =

=
10. Show that the tangents to the curve y =7x
3
+11 at the points where x =2 and x = 2 are
parallel.
11. Find the equation of the normals to the curve y =x
3
+2x +6 which are parallel to the line
given as x +14y +4 =0.
12. Find two positive numbers x and y such that x +y =60 and xy
3
is maximum.
13. Show that of all the rectangles inscribed in a given fixed circle, the square has the maximum
area.
14. Show that the right circular cone of least curved surface and given volume has an altitude
equal to 2time the radius of the base.
15. The two equal sides of an isosceles triangle with fixed base b are decreasing at the rate of 3
cm per second. How fast is the area decreasing when the two equal sides are equal to the
base?
16. Find the maximum area of an isosceles triangle inscribed in the ellipse 1
b
y
a
x
2
2
2
2
= + with its
vertex at one end of the major axis.
17. Find the points at which the function f given by f (x) =(x 2)
4
(x +1)
3
has (i) local maxima
(ii) local minima (iii) point of inflexion
18. Show that height of the cylinder of greatest volume which can be inscribed in a right circular
cone of height h and semi vertical angle is one-third that of the cone and the greatest
volume of cylinder is o t
2 3
tan h
27
4








BASIC MCQs
1. The abscissa of the point on the curve 3y =6x 5x
3
, the normal at which passes through
origin is:
(A) 1 (B) 1/3
(C) 2 (D)1/2
2. The two curves x
3
3xy
2
+2 =0 and 3x
2
y y
3
=2
(A) touch each other (B) cut at right angle
(C) cut at an angle /3 (D) cut at an angle /4
3. The tangent to the curve given by x =e
t
. cos t, y =e
t
. sin t at t = /4 makes with x-axis an
angle:
(A) 0 (B) /4
(C) /3 (D) /2
4. The equation of the normal to the curve y =sinx at (0, 0) is:
(A) x =0 (B) y =0
(C) x +y =0 (D) x y =0
5. The point on the curve y
2
=x, where the tangent makes an angle of /4 with x-axis is
(A) (1/2,1/4) (B) (1/4,1/2)
(C) (4, 2) (D) (1, 1)
6. The values of a for which y =x
2
+ax +25 touches the axis of x are
(A) 10 (B) 10
(C) 0 (D) 10
7. If
1 x 2 x 4
1
) x ( f
2
+ +
= , then its maximum value is _______.
(A) 3/4 (B) 4/3
(C) 0 (D) 1