Differentiation Help: Find dy/dx of y=4-1/x

  • Thread starter The riddler
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In summary, the individual is struggling with understanding differentiation and how to find the derivative of the equation y=4-1/x. They have been given the answer dy/dx=x-2, but they are unsure of how to get from the equation y'=4-x-1 to dy/dx. They are seeking a clear explanation of what dy/dx means and how to differentiate the equation.
  • #1
The riddler
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1. Hello everyone, my problem is with differentation. It seems to be quite simple but i can't understand it. Its basically find dy/dx of this equation:
y=4-1/x



2. The only relevant equation is dy/dx



3. I know how to differentate the equation to get y'=4-x-1 but i don't know how to get from there to dy/dx. To be honest I am not really sure what dy/dx is. I have been told the answer is dy/dx=x-2. Can someone please give me a clear explanation to what dy/dx means and explain to me how i get from the y' equation to dy/dx. Thanks for any replies :)
 
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  • #2
first y'(x) is dy/dx, second y = 4 - x-1 to get to y' ie dy/dx you have to differentiate it but the only thing you did as I seen is rewrote y from 4-1/x to 4- x-1 that is not differentiation.
 
  • #3
Don't worry i see where i was going wrong i understand now for some reason i thought Differentiate ment somthing else, thanks for replying anywayz
 

FAQ: Differentiation Help: Find dy/dx of y=4-1/x

What is differentiation?

Differentiation is a mathematical process used to find the rate of change of a function with respect to its independent variable. It is also known as finding the derivative of a function.

What is dy/dx?

dy/dx is the notation used to represent the derivative of a function y with respect to its independent variable x. It represents the rate of change of y with respect to x.

How do I find the derivative of a function?

To find the derivative of a function, you can use various methods such as the power rule, product rule, quotient rule, or chain rule. In this case, we can use the power rule to find the derivative of y=4-1/x.

What is the power rule?

The power rule is a method used to find the derivative of a function in the form of f(x) = x^n, where n is any real number. The derivative is given by dy/dx = nx^(n-1).

How do I apply the power rule to find dy/dx of y=4-1/x?

To apply the power rule, we can rewrite the given function as y = 4x^(-1). Then, using the power rule, we get dy/dx = -1(4)x^(-1-1) = -4x^(-2). Simplifying further, we get dy/dx = -4/x^2.

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