Calculus Section 2.4 The Chain Rule
Used for finding the derivative of composite functions Think dimensional analysis Ex. Change 17hours to seconds
The derivative of y with respect to x With Respect to… The derivative of y with respect to u The derivative of u with respect to x
The Chain Rule
The derivative of the outside function times the derivative of the inside function.
The Process
The General Power Rule A special case of The Chain Rule for finding the derivative of a composite function where the inside function is raised to a power.
The General Power Rule Power out in front. Keep what’s inside to one less power. Multiply by the derivative of what’s inside.
Example 1 KEEP DERIVATIVE ONE LESS POWER
Example 2
Simplify, Derive, Simplify Simplify to: A CONSTANT TIMES AN EXPRESSION TO A POWER