Chapter 2: Problem 14
Find the derivative of each function. $$f(x)=3 x^{2}-5 x+4$$
Short Answer
Expert verified
The derivative of the function is \( f'(x) = 6x - 5 \).
Step by step solution
01
Identify the Function Components
The given function is \( f(x) = 3x^2 - 5x + 4 \). We need to find the derivative with respect to \( x \). The function is a polynomial consisting of three terms: \( 3x^2 \), \( -5x \), and \( 4 \).
02
Apply the Power Rule to Each Term
Use the power rule for derivatives, which states that \( \frac{d}{dx}[x^n] = nx^{n-1} \). Apply this rule to each term in the function:- **For** \( 3x^2 \), the derivative is \( 2 \times 3x^{2-1} = 6x \).- **For** \( -5x \), the derivative is \( 5 \times 1x^{1-1} = -5 \).- **For** the constant \( 4 \), the derivative is \( 0 \), as the derivative of a constant is always zero.
03
Combine the Derivatives
Now, combine the derivatives of each term. Sum up the results from Step 2: The derivative of \( f(x) = 3x^2 - 5x + 4 \) is \( f'(x) = 6x - 5 \).
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Key Concepts
These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.
Polynomial Function
A polynomial function is an important type of mathematical expression that consists of variables raised to whole number powers, along with coefficients. It looks like this:
- Each term is a product of a constant and a variable raised to a power.
- Polynomial functions can have one or more terms.
- They are typically written in the form of \(a_nx^n + a_{n-1}x^{n-1} + \, ... \, + a_1x + a_0\).
- \(3x^2\) which is a quadratic term,
- \(-5x\) which is a linear term, and
- \(4\) which is a constant term.
Power Rule
The power rule is a basic but crucial tool in calculus for differentiating functions. When we have an expression of the form \(x^n\), the power rule helps to find its derivative. The rule states: \[\frac{d}{dx}[x^n] = nx^{n-1}\]This means you multiply the original exponent by the coefficient of the term and then reduce the exponent by one.Let's see how this works on each term from our function:
- For \(3x^2\), applying the power rule gives \(2 \times 3x^{2-1} = 6x\).
- The term \(-5x\) is actually \(-5x^1\), so its derivative becomes \(1 \times -5x^{1-1} = -5\).
Differentiation
Differentiation is the process of finding the derivative of a function, which measures the rate at which a function's value changes as its input changes.
- It is a fundamental operation in calculus used to analyze and predict changes in quantities.
- Derivatives help to find slopes of tangents, velocity in physics, and optimized solutions in economics.
- We first apply the power rule to each variable term:
- The term \(3x^2\) becomes \(6x\),
- \(-5x\) becomes \(-5\), and
- The constant \(4\) becomes \(0\).