Calculus Examples

$y = 4 x^{6} - 2 x^{4} + \frac{1}{x} - \frac{1}{2}$

Step 1

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $4 x^{6} - 2 x^{4} + \frac{1}{x} - \frac{1}{2}$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [4 x^{6}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 2 x^{4}] + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$ .

$\frac{d}{d x} [4 x^{6}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 2 x^{4}] + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 2

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [4 x^{6}]$ .

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Step 2.1

Since $4$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $4 x^{6}$ with respect to $x$ is $4 \frac{d}{d x} [x^{6}]$ .

$4 \frac{d}{d x} [x^{6}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- 2 x^{4}] + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 2.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 6$ .

$4 (6 x^{5}) + \frac{d}{d x} [- 2 x^{4}] + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 2.3

Multiply $6$ by $4$ .

$24 x^{5} + \frac{d}{d x} [- 2 x^{4}] + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 3

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [- 2 x^{4}]$ .

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Step 3.1

Since $- 2$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- 2 x^{4}$ with respect to $x$ is $- 2 \frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}]$ .

$24 x^{5} - 2 \frac{d}{d x} [x^{4}] + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 3.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = 4$ .

$24 x^{5} - 2 (4 x^{3}) + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 3.3

Multiply $4$ by $- 2$ .

$24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} + \frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 4

Evaluate $\frac{d}{d x} [\frac{1}{x}]$ .

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Step 4.1

Rewrite $\frac{1}{x}$ as $x^{- 1}$ .

$24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} + \frac{d}{d x} [x^{- 1}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 4.2

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

$24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} - x^{- 2} + \frac{d}{d x} [- \frac{1}{2}]$

Step 5

Since $- \frac{1}{2}$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- \frac{1}{2}$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} - x^{- 2} + 0$

Step 6

Simplify.

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Step 6.1

Rewrite the expression using the negative exponent rule $b^{- n} = \frac{1}{b^{n}}$ .

$24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} - \frac{1}{x^{2}} + 0$

Step 6.2

Add $24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} - \frac{1}{x^{2}}$ and $0$ .

$24 x^{5} - 8 x^{3} - \frac{1}{x^{2}}$