Total derivative and partial derivative

In summary, the difference between total derivative and partial derivative in physics is that total derivative considers the change in a quantity with respect to another quantity, regardless of the type of dependence between the two, while partial derivative only considers the explicit dependence of the first quantity on the second. This can be seen in the example of a function with both an explicit and implicit dependence on a second variable, where the partial derivative only considers the explicit dependence while the total derivative takes into account both types of dependence.
  • #1
mikengan
4
0
can anyone tell me the difference of application of total derivative and partial derivative in physics?
i still can't figure it out after searching on the internet
 
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  • #2
A total derivative tells you how a quantity changes if another quantity changes, regardless on the kind of dependence of the first quantity on the second. But for a partial derivative, the second quantity should only appear explicitly in the expression giving the first quantity.
For example consider [itex] y(x(t),t)=2x(t)^2+bt^2 [/itex], we'll have:
[itex]
\frac{\partial y}{\partial t}=2bt \\
\frac{d y}{dt}=4x(t) \frac{dx(t)}{dt}+2bt
[/itex]
 

Related to Total derivative and partial derivative

1. What is the difference between total derivative and partial derivative?

The total derivative is the rate of change of a function with respect to all of its variables, while the partial derivative is the rate of change of a function with respect to only one of its variables, holding all others constant.

2. How do you calculate the total derivative?

The total derivative can be calculated using the chain rule, which involves taking the partial derivatives of the function with respect to each variable and multiplying them by the rate of change of each variable.

3. Can you provide an example of a total derivative?

One example of a total derivative is the velocity of an object, which is the total derivative of its position with respect to time. This takes into account the rate of change of both the object's position and time.

4. When would you use a partial derivative instead of a total derivative?

Partial derivatives are used when only one variable is changing, while the others are held constant. This is useful in situations where the function being analyzed depends on multiple variables, but we are only interested in the effect of one variable on the function.

5. What is the physical interpretation of a partial derivative?

The physical interpretation of a partial derivative is the instantaneous rate of change of a function with respect to one variable, while holding all other variables constant. This can be thought of as the slope of a tangent line on a surface or a cross-section of a three-dimensional graph.

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