Lesson 5

(Calculus 1 with Analytic Geometry)

Derivatives of Basic Function

Learning Compass
At the end of the lesson, students can:
demonstrate understanding on the derivatives of basic functions
find derivatives basic functions
find derivatives of sum, products, quotients and composite functions

Derivatives of Basic Functions

If you apply the definition of the derivative to the basic functions, you will find the following formulas. It is
very important that you familiarize yourself with this list.
𝑑 𝑑 1
1. (𝑐) = 0 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑐 14. (𝑎𝑟𝑐 sin 𝑥) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 √1−𝑥 2

𝑑 𝑑 −1
2. [𝑐𝑓(𝑥 )] = 𝑐 𝑓 ′ (𝑥 )𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑐 15. (𝑎𝑟𝑐 cos 𝑥) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 √1−𝑥 2

𝑑 1
3.
𝑑
xn = nxn -1 for any real number n 16. (arc tan x) =
𝑑𝑥 1+𝑥 2
𝑑𝑥
𝑑 1
𝑑 17. (arc sec x) =
4. (sin x) = cos x 𝑑𝑥 |𝑥|√𝑥 2 −1
𝑑𝑥
𝑑 −1
𝑑 18. (arc csc x) =
5. (cos x) = - sin x 𝑑𝑥 |𝑥|√𝑥 2 −1
𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑 −1
6. (tan x) = sec2 x 19. (arc cot x) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 1+𝑥 2

𝑑 𝑑
7. (sec x) = sec x tan x 20. (sinh x) = cosh x
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑
8. (csc x) = - csc x cot x 21. (cosh x) = sinh x
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑
9. (cot x) = - csc2 x 22. (tanh x) = sech2 x
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑
10. (ax) = ax ln a for any number a > 0 23. (sech x) = - sech x tanh x
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 𝑑
11. (ex) = ex 24. (csch x) = - csch x coth x
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 1 1 𝑑
12. [loga (x)] = ⦁ for a > 0, a≠1 25. (coth x) = −𝑐𝑠𝑐 2 x
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 ln 𝑎 𝑑𝑥

𝑑 1
13. (ln x) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑥

Example 1. Differentiate y = 7x3 with respect to x.

Solution: Simply use formula 2 and then formula 3:
𝑑 𝑑
(7x3) = 7⦁ (x3) = 7⦁3x3 – 1 = 21x2
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
Calculus 1 with Analytic Geometry -FBAmbray 1
 Note: Replace radical signs with fractional exponents when using the formulas.
Example 2. Differentiate y = √𝑥
𝑑 𝑑 1 1 1
√𝑥 = x1/2 = x(1/2) – 1 = x-1/2 =
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 2 2 2√𝑥

3
Example 3. Differentiate y = 4 √𝑥 5
𝑑 3 𝑑 5 20
(4 √𝑥 5 ) = 4⦁ x5/3 = 4⦁ x(5/3) – 1 = x(2/3)
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 3 3
1 -n
Recall that 𝑛 = x . You may use negative exponents when using the formulas.
𝑥

2
Example 4. Differentiate y =
𝑥3
𝑑 2 𝑑
( ) = 2 (x-3) = 2(-3x-4) = - 6x-4
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 3 𝑑𝑥

Derivatives of Sums, Products, Quotients and Composite Functions

Most of the functions you’ll have to differentiate won’t be as simple as those listed above. Instead, you’ll
encounter sums, products, quotients and composite functions.

A. Derivative of a Sum
The derivative of the sum (or difference) of two or more functions is the sum (or difference) of the
derivatives of the functions.

𝒅
[f(x) + g(x)] = f’(x) + g’(x)
𝒅𝒙

As an immediate result of this formula and the first three formulas, you can find the derivative of a
polynomial.

Example 5. Differentiate y = 2x3 – 4x2 + 7x + 6

Solution: The derivative of a sum is the sum of the derivatives:

𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
(2x3 – 4x2 + 7x + 6) = (2x3 ) - (4x2) + (7x) + (6)
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
= 2(3x2) – 4(2x) + 7(1) + 0
= 6x2 – 8x + 7

Example 6. Differentiate f(x) = 4x7 + 12x5 – 14x2 + 7x – 5

𝑑𝑦
= 4(7x6) + 12(5x4) – 14(2x) + 7(1) – 0
𝑑𝑥
= 28x6 + 60x4 – 28x + 7

B. Product Rule
The derivative of a product of two functions f(x) and g(x) is (in words) f(x) times the derivative of g(x) plus
g(x) times the derivative of f(x). Symbolically,

𝒅
[f(x)g(x)] = f(x)g’(x) + g(x)f’(x)
𝒅𝒙

Example 7. Differentiate y = (x3 + 3x – 1)(x2 – x – 1)

Solution:
𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
(x3 + 3x – 1)(x2 – x – 1) = (x3 + 3x – 1) (x2 – x – 1) + (x2 – x – 1) (x3 + 3x – 1)
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
= (x3 + 3x – 1)(2x – 1) + (x2 – x – 1)(3x2 + 3)
Calculus 1 with Analytic Geometry -FBAmbray 2
Example 8. Differentiate y = x2 sin x
𝑑 𝑑 𝑑
(x2 sin x) = x2 (sin x) + (sin x) (x2)
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥
= x2 cos x + sin x (2x)
= x2 cos x + 2x sin x

C. Quotient Rule
The derivative of the quotient of two functions
𝑓(𝑥)
, where g(x) ≠ 0,
𝑔(𝑥)
is more easily to be expressed symbolically than it is in words:

𝒅 𝒇(𝒙) 𝒈(𝒙)𝒇′ (𝒙)−𝒇(𝒙)𝒈′(𝒙)

( )=
𝒅𝒙 𝒈(𝒙) [𝒈(𝒙)]𝟐

However, it will help you remember the formula if you verbalize it as follows: the derivative of the
quotient is the denominator times the derivative of the numerator minus the numerator times the derivative of
the denominator all divided by the square of the denominator.

𝑥+2
Example 9. Differentiate y =
𝑥−𝑥 2

𝑑 𝑑
𝑑 𝑥+2 (𝑥−𝑥 2 )𝑑𝑥(𝑥+2)− (𝑥+2)𝑑𝑥(𝑥−𝑥 2 )
( ) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑥−𝑥 2 (𝑥−𝑥 2 )2

(𝑥−𝑥 2 )(1+0) − (𝑥+2)(1−2𝑥)

= (𝑥−𝑥 2 )2

(𝑥−𝑥 2 )− (𝑥+2)(1−2𝑥)
= (𝑥−𝑥 2 )2

𝑥 2 + 4𝑥−2
(𝑥−𝑥 2 )2

ln 𝑥
Example 10. Differentiate y =
𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1

𝑑 𝑑
𝑑 ln 𝑥 (𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1)𝑑𝑥(ln 𝑥)− (ln 𝑥)𝑑𝑥(𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1)
( ) =
𝑑𝑥 𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1 (𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1)2

1 𝑑
(𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1)(𝑥)− (ln 𝑥)𝑑𝑥(2𝑥−2)
= (𝑥 2 −2𝑥+1)2

D. The Chain Rule

You’ll use the chain rule to find the derivative of a composition of two functions f[g(x)].
Note: Your text may use the notation (g ⦁ f)(x) to describe the composite functions. Simply remember that
(g ⦁ f)(x) = g[f(x)]

𝒅
f[g(x)] = f’[g(x)]g’(x)
𝒅𝒙

Example 11. Differentiate h(x) = (3x – 2)4

𝑑
(3x – 2)4 = 4(3x – 2)3 (3) = 12(3x – 2)3
𝑑𝑥
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Example 12. Differentiate h(x) = sin (x2 + 1)

𝑑
[sin (x2 + 1)] = cos(x2 + 1) ⦁ (2x) = 2x cos(x2 + 1)
𝑑𝑥

Example 13. Differentiate y = e5x – 1

𝑑 5x – 1
e = e5x – 1 ⦁ (5) = 5e5x – 1
𝑑𝑥

Exercises. Find the derivative of the given functions.

1
1. f(x) = 3x3 + 5x2 – 7x + 4 2. f(x) = x -
𝑥

4
3. f(x) = 5 4. f(x) = x sin x
√𝑥 2

𝑥+ √𝑥
5. y = x2 ex + 3xe-x + 4 6. y =
𝑥− √𝑥

𝑎𝑟𝑐 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑥 𝑥 2 +𝑥−1

7. f(x) = 8. y =
𝑥 3−𝑥

9. y = arc sin x + arc cos x 10. f(x) = x4 + 2x3 + 5x2 + 6x + 5

References:

Differential Calculus by Marcon S. Valderama (2016)

Differential Calculus Made Simple for Filipinos by Ferdinand P. Nocon (2001)
https://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/18/18.013a/textbook/HTML/chapter08/section02.html
https://www.math24.net/basic-differentiation-rules/
https://www.mathwarehouse.com/calculus/derivatives/basic-derivative-rules.php
https://www.khanacademy.org/math/calculus-all-old/taking-derivatives-calc
http://www.sosmath.com/tables/derivative/derivative.html

Calculus 1 with Analytic Geometry -FBAmbray 4