Lesson 6: Product Rule, Quotient Rule & Intro to Chain Rule

1. Product Rule

If \(y = f(x) · g(x)\), then:

\[ y' = f' g + f g' \]

Memory trick: "first · derivative of second + second · derivative of first"

Example: \(y = x^{2} · \sin(x)\)

\(y' = (2x) \sin(x) + x^{2} \cos(x)\)

Exercise 1

Find dy/dx for \(y = x^{2} · (x + 2)\)
\(y' =\) \(\cdot (x + 2) + x^2 \cdot\)

2. Quotient Rule

If \(y = f(x) / g(x)\), then:

\[ y' = \frac{f' g - f g'}{g^2} \]

Memory trick: "low d-high minus high d-low, over low squared"

Example: \(y = (x^2 + 1) / (x - 3)\)

\(y' = [(2x)(x-3) - (x^2+1)(1)] / (x-3)^2\)

Exercise 2

What is the correct quotient rule derivative for \(y = (2x + 5)/(x^{2} - 1)\)?

3. Intro to Chain Rule

Used when one function is inside another: \(y = f(g(x))\)

\[ \frac{dy}{dx} = f'(g(x)) · g'(x) \]

Example: \(y = (3x + 1)^4\)

Let \(u = 3x + 1 → y = u^4 → dy/dx = 4u^3 · 3 = 12(3x + 1)^3\)

Memory trick: "derivative of outside, times derivative of inside"

Exercise 3

Find dy/dx for \(y = (5x - 2)^3\)
\(dy/dx = 3(5x - 2)^2 ·\)
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