Class 12 Revision Notes Application of Derivatives
Class 12 Revision Notes Application of Derivatives
Class 12 Revision Notes Application of Derivatives
APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES
In various fields of applied mathematics one has the quest (I) The value of the derivative at P (x1, y1) gives the
to know the rate at which one variable is changing, with slope of the tangent to the curve at P. Symbolically
respect to other. The rate of change naturally refers to time.
But we can have rate of change with respect to other dy
f ´ (x 1 ) = dx = Slope of tangent at
variables also. x1 , y1
An economist may want to study how the investment P (x1, y1) = m (say).
changes with respect to variations in interest rates.
(II) Equation of tangent at (x1, y1) is ;
A physician may want to know, how small changes in dosage
can affect the body’s response to a drug. § dy ·
y y1 ¨ ¸ u x x1
A physicist may want to know the rate of change of distance © dx ¹ x1 , y1
with respect to time.
All questions of the above type can be interpreted and (III) Equation of normal at (x1, y1) is ;
represented using derivatives.
Definition : § ·
¨ 1 ¸
The average rate of change of a function f (x) with respect to y y1 ¨ dy ¸ u x x1
¨ ¸
f a+h - f a © dx ¹ x1 , y1
x over an interval [a, a + h] is defined as .
h
Definition :
The instantaneous rate of change of f with respect to x is
defined as
f ah f a
f´x lim , provided the limit exists.
h o0 h
y1 m1 m 2
(b) Length of Subtangent (MT) = f ´ x tan T
1 1 m1m 2
2
(c) Length of Normal (PN) = y1 1 ¬ª f ´ x1 ¼º where m1 & m2 are the slopes of tangents at the intersection
point (x1, y1).
(d) Length of Subnormal (MN) = y1 f ´ (x1)
(V) Differential :
The differential of a function is equal to its derivative
multiplied by the differential of the independent variable.
Thus if, y = tan x then dy = sec2x dx.
In general dy = f ´ (x) dx.
(b) Approximations
From definition of derivative,
Gy dy f (a + h) < f (a)
From definition of derivative, lim
Gx o 0 Gx dx
f (a – h) > f (a)
Gy dy
approximately Above statements hold true irrespective of whether f is non
Gx dx
derivable or even discontinuous at x = a
§ dy ·
or Gy ¨ ¸ . Gx approximately 2. A differentiable function is called increasing in an interval
© dx ¹
(a, b) if it is increasing at every point within the interval (but
Definition : not necessarily at the end points). A function decreasing in
(i) Gx is known as absolute error in x. an interval (a, b) is similarly defined.
f b f bh º
» x=b gives minima for a sufficiently
f b f b h »¼
(i) The set of values of x for which f ´ (x) = 0 are often
small positive h. called as stationary points. The rate of change of
function is zero at a stationary point.
(ii) In case f ´ (c) does not exist f (c) may be a maxima
or a minima & in this case left hand and right hand
derivatives are of opposite signs.
(iii) The greatest (global maxima) and the least (global
minima) values of a function f in an interval [a, b] are
f (a) or f (b) or are given by the values of x which are
critical points.
(iv) Critical points are those where :
dy
(i) 0, if it exists; (ii) or it fails to exist
dx
APPLICATION OF DERIVATIVES
3. Sufficient condition for extreme values maximised or minimised. If this quantity is denoted by ‘y’, it
must be expressed in terms of a single independent variable
First Derivative Test x. This may require some algebraic manipulations.
Third : If y = f (x) is a quantity to be maximum or minimum,
find those values of x for which dy/dx = f ´ (x) = 0.
f ´ c h ! 0º
»x c is a point of local maxima, Fourth : Test each values of x for which f ´ (x) = 0 to determine
f ´ c h 0»¼
whether it provides a maxima or minima or neither. The usual
where h is a sufficiently small positive quantity tests are :
(a) If d2y/dx2 is positive when dy/dx = 0
f ´ c h 0º y is minima.
Similarly » x c is a point of local minima,
f ´ c h ! 0»¼ If d2y/dx2 is negative when dy/dx = 0
where h is a sufficiently small positive quantity y is maxima.
Note :– f ´ (c) in both the cases may or may not exist. If it If d2y/dx2 = 0 when dy/dx = 0, the test fails.
exists, then f ´ (c) = 0.
positive for x x0 º
dy »
(b) If is zero for x x0 » a maxima occurs at x x0 .
dx negative for x ! x 0 ¼»
1
Volume of a pyramid = area of the base × height. d2
3 (i) ! 0 concave upwards
dx 2
Curved surface of a pyramid =
1 d2
(perimeter of the base) × slant height. (ii) 0 concave downwards.
2 dx 2
(Note that slant surfaces of a pyramid are triangles).
d2 d2
1 At the point of inflection we find that 0 and
Volume of a cone = Sr 2 h. dx 2 dx 2
3
changes sign.
Curved surface of a cylinder = 2Srh.
d2
Total surface of a cylinder = 2Srh + 2Sr2. Inflection points can also occur if fails to exist (but
dx 2
4 3 changes its sign). For example, consider the graph of the
Volume of a sphere = Sr .
3 function defined as,
Surface area of a sphere = 4Sr2.
ª x 3 /5 for x f,1
1 f x «
Area of a circular sector = r 2 T, where T is in radians. «¬ 2 x for x 1, f
2
The sign of the 2nd order derivative determines the concavity The graph below exhibits two critical points one is a point
of the curve. Such point such as C & E on the graph where of local maximum (x = c) & the other a point of inflection
the concavity of the curve changes are called the points of (x = 0). This implies that not every Critical Point is a point
inflection. From the graph we find that if : of extrema.