Finding derivative and solve for t

  • Thread starter josh_123
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Derivative
In summary: Once you have done the quotient rule once, it is very important in simplifying the derivative to see how you can do that simplification as much as possible without having to do the quotient rule again.
  • #1
josh_123
15
0
Hello so I'm supposed to find the derivative of (-t2+4)/(t2+4)2

and using the quotient rule + the chain rule I got this mess:
dy/dx= -2t(t^2+4)^2-2t(2t2+8)(t2+4)2/ (t2+4)4

and now I have to set that whole thing to 0. I know the numerator must be equal to 0 which mean that one of the solution is t=0. Is there any other solutions?Can you help me simplify/factor it to find the other solution?Thank you
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Your 'mess' is a ways from being right yet. Once you get it right I'd start with canceling out the common factors of (t^2+4) in the numerator and denominator. It will look a lot less messy.
 
  • #3
josh_123 said:
Hello so I'm supposed to find the derivative of (-t2+4)/(t2+4)2
and using the quotient rule + the chain rule I got this mess:
dy/dx= -2t(t^2+4)^2-2t(2t2+8)(t2+4)2/ (t2+4)4
and now I have to set that whole thing to 0. I know the numerator must be equal to 0 which mean that one of the solution is t=0. Is there any other solutions?Can you help me simplify/factor it to find the other solution?Thank you
Since there is no x in your original expression, your derivative shouldn't be dy/dx. Also, there's no y in that expression, either, so where did it come from?

Why do you think you need to set the derivative to 0? The question merely asks you to find the derivative.
 
  • #4
Hello there,
the function is v(t)=-t2+4/(t2+4)2
and to find the derivative I'm suppose to find v'(t) or a(t)
The reason why I have to set the second derivative to 0 so that I could find the point at which the function is concave up or down. (those are called stationary points?)
I find the second derivative by using the equation:
f'g-g'f/g^2
and there is a comment said that my second derivative is wrong. Can you guide me where I make the mistake?
Thank you
 
  • #5
It could have gone wrong anywhere. Show us your steps in simplifying your derivative after applying the quotient rule. Only then will we be able to pinpoint your mistake. So when you set your 2nd derivative = 0, you are looking at when there is constant velocity or 0 acceleration. I wouldn't call these stationary points since the object is still moving in some direction. Stationary points would only be when v(t)=0
 
  • #6
oh okay here is the step
a(t)= -2t(t^2+4)^2 is the part f'g and then subtract the g'f part I used the chain rule to find g' which is 2t(2t^2+8)<----g'(t^2+4)^2<-----f and divide by g^2 which is( (t^2+4)^2)^2) which clean up to be equal (t^2+4)^4

and that why I got -2t(t^2+4)^2-2t(2t^2+8)(t^2+4)^2/ (t^2+4)^4
 
  • #7
josh_123 said:
oh okay here is the step
a(t)= -2t(t^2+4)^2 is the part f'g and then subtract the g'f part I used the chain rule to find g' which is 2t(2t^2+8)<----g'(t^2+4)^2<-----f and divide by g^2 which is( (t^2+4)^2)^2) which clean up to be equal (t^2+4)^4

and that why I got -2t(t^2+4)^2-2t(2t^2+8)(t^2+4)^2/ (t^2+4)^4

The f'g part looks ok. The g'f part doesn't. It looks more like g'g to me.
 
  • #8
(You really do need to learn to use parentheses where they're needed.)

I take it that you have f(t)/g(t) = (-t2+4)/(t2+4)2 .


Then [itex]\displaystyle \frac{d}{dt}\left(\frac{f(t)}{g(t)}\right)=\frac{f\,'\!(t)\,g(t)-f(t)\,g'(t)}{(g(t))^2}[/itex]

I don't see f(t) in the second term of the numerator in your expression.
 
  • #9
josh_123 said:
the function is v(t)=-t2+4/(t2+4)2
and to find the derivative I'm suppose to find v'(t) or a(t)
The reason why I have to set the second derivative to 0 so that I could find the point at which the function is concave up or down. (those are called stationary points?)
This information is part of the problem statement, which should have been in your first post.
 
  • #10
Hello everyone, so I redo the derivative

a(t)= -2t(t2+4)2-2(t2+4)(2t)(-t2+4)/ (t2+4)4


does that look about right?
 
  • #11
josh_123 said:
Hello everyone, so I redo the derivative

a(t)= -2t(t2+4)2-2(t2+4)(2t)(-t2+4)/ (t2+4)4


does that look about right?
Like Sammy said, you need more parentheses.

What you wrote would be interpreted as
[tex]a(t) = -2t(t^2 + 4)^2 - \frac{2(t^2 + 4)(2t)(-t^2 + 4)}{(t^2 + 4)^4}[/tex]

You need another pair of parentheses around the entire numerator.

After making that fix, that looks to be correct, but if the answer is given, it probably won't look like this. In the textbook answers, they usually pull out common factors in the numerator to write the numerator as a product of factors rather than as a sum or difference of terms.
 

FAQ: Finding derivative and solve for t

What is a derivative?

A derivative is a mathematical concept that represents the rate of change of a function with respect to one of its variables. It essentially tells us how much the output of a function changes when the input changes.

Why is finding the derivative important?

Finding the derivative allows us to analyze the behavior of a function and understand its rate of change. This is useful in various fields such as physics, engineering, economics, and more.

How do you find the derivative of a function?

To find the derivative of a function, we use a mathematical process called differentiation. This involves applying specific rules and formulas to the function to determine its derivative.

What is the relationship between a function and its derivative?

The derivative of a function represents how the output of the function changes in relation to its input. It can give us information about the shape, slope, and concavity of the original function.

How do you solve for t in a derivative equation?

To solve for t in a derivative equation, we can use algebraic techniques such as isolating the variable and applying inverse operations. It is also important to pay attention to any restrictions or conditions on the domain of the function.

Similar threads

Replies
2
Views
909
Replies
25
Views
1K
Replies
2
Views
1K
Replies
3
Views
1K
Back
Top