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Use the chain rule to differentiate (a) \(y=e^{x^{3}}\) (b) \(y=\ln \left(x^{4}+3 x^{2}\right)\)

Short Answer

Expert verified
a) \(3x^{2}e^{x^{3}}\), b) \(\frac{4x^3 + 6x}{x^4 + 3x^2}\)

Step by step solution

01

Identify the Outer Function

For the function given, identify the outermost function that is being applied. (a) The outer function here is the exponential function \(e^{u}\) where \(u=x^3\). (b) The outer function here is the natural logarithm \(\text{ln}(u)\) where \(u=x^4 + 3x^2\).
02

Identify the Inner Function

Determine the inner function that is being fed into the outer function. (a) The inner function \(u\) is \(x^3\). (b) The inner function \(u\) is \(x^4 + 3x^2\).
03

Differentiate the Outer Function

Differentiate the outer function with respect to the inner function \(u\). (a) For \(y = e^{u}\), \(\frac{dy}{du} = e^{u}\). (b) For \(y = \text{ln}(u)\), \(\frac{dy}{du} = \frac{1}{u}\).
04

Differentiate the Inner Function

Differentiate the inner function with respect to \(x\). (a) For \(u = x^3\), \(\frac{du}{dx} = 3x^{2}\). (b) For \(u = x^4 + 3x^2\), \(\frac{du}{dx} = 4x^{3} + 6x\).
05

Apply the Chain Rule

Combine the derivatives from Steps 3 and 4 using the chain rule \((\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{dy}{du} \times \frac{du}{dx})\). (a) \(\frac{dy}{dx} = e^{x^3} \times 3x^{2} = 3x^{2}e^{x^{3}}\). (b) \(\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{x^4 + 3x^2} \times (4x^{3} + 6x) = \frac{4x^3 + 6x}{x^4 + 3x^2}\).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Outer Function
The outer function is the function that is applied last when evaluating your given function. Think of it as wrapping another function around an existing one.
For example, in the case of the function \(y = e^{x^3}\), the outermost function is the exponential function, \(e^u\), where \(u = x^3\).
Meanwhile, for \(y = \text{ln}(x^4 + 3x^2)\), the outer function is the natural logarithm, \(\text{ln}(u)\), with \(u = x^4 + 3x^2\). Identifying the outer function correctly is crucial because its derivative will dictate part of the final expression for the solution.
Inner Function
The inner function is the one that goes into the outer function. In essence, it’s what you evaluate before applying the outer function.
For instance, in the function \(y = e^{x^3}\), the inner function is \(x^3\).
In the function \(y = \text{ln}(x^4 + 3x^2)\), the inner function is \(x^4 + 3x^2\). Identifying the inner function is fundamental, as you’ll need to differentiate it separately from the outer function.
Derivative Calculation
After identifying the outer and inner functions, the next step is to calculate their derivatives individually.
When differentiating the outer function, you take its derivative with respect to the inner function.

For example:
  • For \(e^{u}\), \(\frac{dy}{du} = e^{u}\).
  • For \(\text{ln}(u)\), \(\frac{dy}{du} = \frac{1}{u}\).
Next, differentiate the inner function with respect to \(- x\).

In our example:
  • Given \(- u = x^3\), then \(\frac{du}{dx} = 3 x^2\).
  • For \(- u = x^4 + 3x^2\), \(\frac{du}{dx} = 4x^3 + 6x\).
Don't mix up the order! Correct differentiation ensures accurate results.
Step-by-Step Solution
Applying what you have learned through differentiation of the outer and inner functions, we now use the chain rule to get the final derivative.
The chain rule states \(\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{dy}{du} \times \frac{du}{dx}\). You simply multiply the derivatives obtained in the previous steps.

For our problems:
  • \((y = e^{x^3})\) becomes \(\frac{dy}{dx} = e^{x^3} \times 3x^2 = 3x^2e^{x^{3}}\).
  • Meanwhile, \((y = \text{ln}(x^4 + 3x^2))\) turns to \(\frac{dy}{dx} = \frac{1}{x^4 + 3x^2} \times (4x^3 + 6x) = \frac{4x^3 + 6x}{x^4 + 3x^2}\).
By following these steps, you can confidently apply the chain rule to differentiate complex functions!

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Differentiate (a) \(y=x(x-3)^{4}\) (b) \(y=x \sqrt{(2 x-3)}\) (c) \(y=\frac{x}{x+5}\) (d) \(y=\frac{x}{x^{2}+1}\)

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A firm's short-run production function is given by $$ Q=300 L^{2}-L^{4} $$ where \(L\) denotes the number of workers. Find the size of the workforce that maximizes the average product of labour and verify that at this value of \(L\) $$ \mathrm{MP}_{L}=\mathrm{AP}_{L} $$

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