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Calculus help

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M+M
Posts: 7935 - Karma: 25
taking first and second derivatives of things like (3/x^2)....how to do that and then the opposite with things like (x^4/4) help is greatly appretiated thanks
Dec 3 2007 1:48PM
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cab509
Posts: 806 - Karma: 34
general power rule for 1st derivatives


X^n = nX^n-1    so if you have X^4 the derivative is 4x^3, for second deriv you just repeat ,so 4x^3 would go to 12x^2, and so on until it becomes a constant which goes to zero


Antiderivatives: general formula: x^n goes to 1/n+1x^n+1 + C, so the anti deriv of X^4 would then be (1/5)x^5+C where C is a constant.


hope this helps
Dec 3 2007 1:51PM
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dr.awkward
Posts: 1461 - Karma: 26
it's been a little while since my last calc. class but i think it goes something like this:

1/x^n is the same thing as x^-n

so if you have (3/(x^2)) you can write it like 3x^-2

then you take the first derivative like you normally would:

3(-2)x^(-2-1)

and you end up with -6x^-3 or  (-6/(x^3))

this is different from ((x^4)/4). Here, x is in the numerator so you can just derive it right away:

(4(x^3))/4 or x^3.

i'm pretty sure that's how it goes.

 
Dec 3 2007 2:25PM
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CLang518
Posts: 208 - Karma: 10
when taking derivatives, multiply the base times the power, then write that with the exponent minus one.  for example, 4x^3 turns into 12x^2.  the derivative of x is simply 1, and the derivatives of constants, like 3 or 12, is zero.
Dec 3 2007 2:29PM
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JockinJLoads
Posts: 3480 - Karma: 6
another tip.....when taking the derivative of things like (x^4) / 4 its easier to separate it into (1/4)x^4
Dec 3 2007 2:33PM
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homestead
Posts: 2493 - Karma: 11
yeah, theyve got you pretty much covered there. when taking antiderivatives dont forget to add the C at the end to represent a constant
Dec 3 2007 4:16PM
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M+M
Posts: 7935 - Karma: 25
thank you thats what i needed
Dec 3 2007 4:20PM
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Austin_Smith
Posts: 218 - Karma: 11
I have a 67 in calculus.
Dec 3 2007 4:27PM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
That's too bad...I might 3.5 my calc 3 class if I'm lucky which would be AMAZING. Fucking hard as hell class.
Dec 3 2007 4:28PM
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M+M
Posts: 7935 - Karma: 25
i got an A- in honors calc first quarter...but its my senior year, and i kinda stoped going to classes and wat not already, probably shouldnt have done that
Dec 3 2007 4:35PM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
You didn't do power rule derivatives and integrals in honors calc?
Dec 3 2007 5:32PM
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Alex_G
Posts: 11902 - Karma: 1,019
I definitely dropped that class...soo key for senior year.
Dec 3 2007 8:11PM
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