Calculus Examples

$f (x) = \sqrt{x + 2} - 1$

Step 1

Find the first derivative.

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Step 1.1

Find the first derivative.

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Step 1.1.1

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $\sqrt{x + 2} - 1$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [\sqrt{x + 2}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$ .

$\frac{d}{d x} [\sqrt{x + 2}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [\sqrt{x + 2}]$ .

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Step 1.1.2.1

Use $\sqrt[n]{a^{x}} = a^{\frac{x}{n}}$ to rewrite $\sqrt{x + 2}$ as ${(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

$\frac{d}{d x} [{(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.2

Differentiate using the chain rule, which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [f (g (x))]$ is $f' (g (x)) g' (x)$ where $f (x) = x^{\frac{1}{2}}$ and $g (x) = x + 2$ .

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Step 1.1.2.2.1

To apply the Chain Rule, set $u$ as $x + 2$ .

$\frac{d}{d u} [u^{\frac{1}{2}}] \frac{d}{d x} [x + 2] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.2.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d u} [u^{n}]$ is $n u^{n - 1}$ where $n = \frac{1}{2}$ .

$\frac{1}{2} u^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} \frac{d}{d x} [x + 2] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.2.3

Replace all occurrences of $u$ with $x + 2$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} \frac{d}{d x} [x + 2] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.3

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $x + 2$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [x] + \frac{d}{d x} [2]$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} (\frac{d}{d x} [x] + \frac{d}{d x} [2]) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.4

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 1$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} (1 + \frac{d}{d x} [2]) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.5

Since $2$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $2$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.6

To write $- 1$ as a fraction with a common denominator, multiply by $\frac{2}{2}$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} - 1 \cdot \frac{2}{2}} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.7

Combine $- 1$ and $\frac{2}{2}$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} + \frac{- 1 \cdot 2}{2}} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.8

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1 - 1 \cdot 2}{2}} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.9

Simplify the numerator.

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Step 1.1.2.9.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $2$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1 - 2}{2}} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.9.2

Subtract $2$ from $1$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{\frac{- 1}{2}} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.10

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}} (1 + 0) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.11

Add $1$ and $0$ .

$\frac{1}{2} {(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}} \cdot 1 + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.12

Combine $\frac{1}{2}$ and ${(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}$ .

$\frac{{(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2} \cdot 1 + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.13

Multiply $\frac{{(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2}$ by $1$ .

$\frac{{(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}}{2} + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.2.14

Move ${(x + 2)}^{- \frac{1}{2}}$ to the denominator using the negative exponent rule $b^{- n} = \frac{1}{b^{n}}$ .

$\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} + \frac{d}{d x} [- 1]$

Step 1.1.3

Differentiate using the Constant Rule.

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Step 1.1.3.1

Since $- 1$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- 1$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} + 0$

Step 1.1.3.2

Add $\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}}$ and $0$ .

$f' (x) = \frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}}$

Step 1.2

The first derivative of $f (x)$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}}$ .

$\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}}$

Step 2

Set the first derivative equal to $0$ then solve the equation $\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} = 0$ .

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Step 2.1

Set the first derivative equal to $0$ .

$\frac{1}{2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}} = 0$

Step 2.2

Set the numerator equal to zero.

$1 = 0$

Step 2.3

Since $1 \neq 0$ , there are no solutions.

No solution

Step 3

Find the values where the derivative is undefined.

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Step 3.1

Convert expressions with fractional exponents to radicals.

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Step 3.1.1

Apply the rule $x^{\frac{m}{n}} = \sqrt[n]{x^{m}}$ to rewrite the exponentiation as a radical.

$\frac{1}{2 \sqrt{{(x + 2)}^{1}}}$

Step 3.1.2

Anything raised to $1$ is the base itself.

$\frac{1}{2 \sqrt{x + 2}}$

Step 3.2

Set the denominator in $\frac{1}{2 \sqrt{x + 2}}$ equal to $0$ to find where the expression is undefined.

$2 \sqrt{x + 2} = 0$

Step 3.3

Solve for $x$ .

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Step 3.3.1

To remove the radical on the left side of the equation, square both sides of the equation.

${(2 \sqrt{x + 2})}^{2} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2

Simplify each side of the equation.

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Step 3.3.2.1

Use $\sqrt[n]{a^{x}} = a^{\frac{x}{n}}$ to rewrite $\sqrt{x + 2}$ as ${(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

${(2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}})}^{2} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2

Simplify the left side.

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Step 3.3.2.2.1

Simplify ${(2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}})}^{2}$ .

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Step 3.3.2.2.1.1

Apply the product rule to $2 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

$2^{2} {({(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}})}^{2} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.2

Raise $2$ to the power of $2$ .

$4 {({(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}})}^{2} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.3

Multiply the exponents in ${({(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2}})}^{2}$ .

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Step 3.3.2.2.1.3.1

Apply the power rule and multiply exponents, ${(a^{m})}^{n} = a^{m n}$ .

$4 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} \cdot 2} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.3.2

Cancel the common factor of $2$ .

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Step 3.3.2.2.1.3.2.1

Cancel the common factor.

$4 {(x + 2)}^{\frac{1}{2} \cdot 2} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.3.2.2

Rewrite the expression.

$4 {(x + 2)}^{1} = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.4

Simplify.

$4 (x + 2) = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.5

Apply the distributive property.

$4 x + 4 \cdot 2 = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.2.1.6

Multiply $4$ by $2$ .

$4 x + 8 = 0^{2}$

Step 3.3.2.3

Simplify the right side.

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Step 3.3.2.3.1

Raising $0$ to any positive power yields $0$ .

$4 x + 8 = 0$

Step 3.3.3

Solve for $x$ .

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Step 3.3.3.1

Subtract $8$ from both sides of the equation.

$4 x = - 8$

Step 3.3.3.2

Divide each term in $4 x = - 8$ by $4$ and simplify.

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Step 3.3.3.2.1

Divide each term in $4 x = - 8$ by $4$ .

$\frac{4 x}{4} = \frac{- 8}{4}$

Step 3.3.3.2.2

Simplify the left side.

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Step 3.3.3.2.2.1

Cancel the common factor of $4$ .

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Step 3.3.3.2.2.1.1

Cancel the common factor.

$\frac{4 x}{4} = \frac{- 8}{4}$

Step 3.3.3.2.2.1.2

Divide $x$ by $1$ .

$x = \frac{- 8}{4}$

Step 3.3.3.2.3

Simplify the right side.

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Step 3.3.3.2.3.1

Divide $- 8$ by $4$ .

$x = - 2$

Step 3.4

Set the radicand in $\sqrt{x + 2}$ less than $0$ to find where the expression is undefined.

$x + 2 < 0$

Step 3.5

Subtract $2$ from both sides of the inequality.

$x < - 2$

Step 3.6

The equation is undefined where the denominator equals $0$ , the argument of a square root is less than $0$ , or the argument of a logarithm is less than or equal to $0$ .

$x \leq - 2$

$(- \infty, - 2]$

$x \leq - 2$

$(- \infty, - 2]$

Step 4

Evaluate $\sqrt{x + 2} - 1$ at each $x$ value where the derivative is $0$ or undefined.

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Step 4.1

Evaluate at $x = - 2$ .

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Step 4.1.1

Substitute $- 2$ for $x$ .

$\sqrt{(- 2) + 2} - 1$

Step 4.1.2

Simplify.

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Step 4.1.2.1

Simplify each term.

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Step 4.1.2.1.1

Add $- 2$ and $2$ .

$\sqrt{0} - 1$

Step 4.1.2.1.2

Rewrite $0$ as $0^{2}$ .

$\sqrt{0^{2}} - 1$

Step 4.1.2.1.3

Pull terms out from under the radical, assuming positive real numbers.

$0 - 1$

Step 4.1.2.2

Subtract $1$ from $0$ .

$- 1$

Step 4.2

List all of the points.

$(- 2, - 1)$

Step 5