Chapter 23: Problem 33
Evaluate the second derivative of the given function for the given value of \(x\). $$y=3 x^{2 / 3}-\frac{2}{x}, x=-8$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The second derivative evaluated at \( x = -8 \) is \(-\frac{13}{384}\).
Step by step solution
01
Find the First Derivative
First, we need to differentiate the function \( y = 3x^{2/3} - \frac{2}{x} \). Use the power rule and the derivative of a fraction for this. The derivative of \( x^{2/3} \) is \( \frac{2}{3}x^{-1/3} \) and of \( \frac{1}{x} \) is \( -\frac{1}{x^2} \). Therefore, the first derivative is \( y' = 3 \cdot \frac{2}{3}x^{-1/3} + 2x^{-2} \), which simplifies to \( y' = 2x^{-1/3} + \frac{2}{x^2} \).
02
Simplify the First Derivative
Simplify the expression \( y' = 2x^{-1/3} + \frac{2}{x^2} \). This gives us \( y' = 2x^{-1/3} + 2x^{-2} \). It is already in a simplified, manageable form for further differentiation.
03
Find the Second Derivative
Differentiate \( y' = 2x^{-1/3} + 2x^{-2} \) to find the second derivative. For \( 2x^{-1/3} \), the derivative is \( -\frac{2}{3}x^{-4/3} \). For \( 2x^{-2} \), the derivative is \( -4x^{-3} \). Thus, the second derivative \( y'' = -\frac{2}{3}x^{-4/3} - 4x^{-3} \).
04
Evaluate the Second Derivative at \( x = -8 \)
Substitute \( x = -8 \) into the second derivative \( y'' = -\frac{2}{3}x^{-4/3} - 4x^{-3} \). Calculate \( (-8)^{-4/3} \) and \( (-8)^{-3} \). We have \( (-8)^{-4/3} = \left(\frac{1}{(-8)^{4/3}}\right) \) and as \( (-8)^{1/3} = -2 \), \((-8)^{4/3} = 16 \), so \( (-8)^{-4/3} = \frac{1}{16} \). For \( (-8)^{-3} = -\frac{1}{512} \). Substitute back to get \( y'' = -\frac{2}{3} \cdot \frac{1}{16} - 4 \cdot \left(-\frac{1}{512}\right) \). Simplify to \( y'' = -\frac{1}{24} + \frac{1}{128} \).
05
Simplify Final Expression
To combine \(-\frac{1}{24}\) and \(\frac{1}{128}\), find a common denominator, which is 384. Convert terms: \(-\frac{1}{24} = -\frac{16}{384}\) and \(\frac{1}{128} = \frac{3}{384}\). Combine them to get \(-\frac{16}{384} + \frac{3}{384} = -\frac{13}{384}\). Thus, \( y''(-8) = -\frac{13}{384} \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Power Rule
The power rule is a fundamental tool in calculus used for differentiating functions with terms raised to a power. It's very useful when you have expressions of the form \( x^n \). The rule states that you bring down the exponent as a coefficient in front and then subtract one from the original exponent. Let's break it down into steps:
- If you have \( x^n \), you multiply \( n \) by the term, resulting in \( n \cdot x^{n-1} \).
- This simplifies the process of differentiation, allowing you to find the derivative easily without dealing with complex algebra.
Differentiation
Differentiation is the process of finding a derivative, which represents the rate of change of a function with respect to a variable. It’s like finding how fast or slow a function changes at any point.
- To differentiate a function, you take each part of the expression and apply differentiation rules to transform it into a derivative.
- In simple terms, differentiation converts a function into something that tells you about the slopes or changes of that function along the x-axis.
Function Evaluation
Function evaluation is about determining the value of a function at a specific point by substituting a number for the variable. This is especially useful after you have found a derivative and need to understand what it means at a particular x-value.
- You substitute the given x-value into your function or derivative and simplify to find the result.
- Evaluating the second derivative, as we did for \( y'' = -\frac{2}{3}x^{-4/3} - 4x^{-3} \) at \( x = -8 \), gives us insight into the curvature or concavity of the function at that point.
Common Denominators
Finding common denominators is a crucial step in combining fractions. When performing operations like addition or subtraction on fractions with different denominators, you need a common denominator to combine them into a single fraction.
- To find a common denominator, identify the least common multiple (LCM) of the denominators involved.
- Rewrite each fraction with this new denominator, adjusting the numerators accordingly.