Calculus Examples

${(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{3}{2}}$

Step 1

Differentiate using the chain rule, which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [f (g (x))]$ is $f' (g (x)) g' (x)$ where $f (x) = x^{\frac{3}{2}}$ and $g (x) = a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}$ .

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Step 1.1

To apply the Chain Rule, set $u$ as $a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}$ .

$\frac{d}{d u} [u^{\frac{3}{2}}] \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 1.2

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d u} [u^{n}]$ is $n u^{n - 1}$ where $n = \frac{3}{2}$ .

$\frac{3}{2} u^{\frac{3}{2} - 1} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 1.3

Replace all occurrences of $u$ with $a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}$ .

$\frac{3}{2} {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{3}{2} - 1} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 2

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

$\frac{3}{2} {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{3}{2} - 1 \cdot \frac{2}{2}} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 3

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

$\frac{3}{2} {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{3}{2} + \frac{- 1 \cdot 2}{2}} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 4

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$\frac{3}{2} {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{3 - 1 \cdot 2}{2}} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 5

Simplify the numerator.

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Step 5.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $2$ .

$\frac{3}{2} {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{3 - 2}{2}} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 5.2

Subtract $2$ from $3$ .

$\frac{3}{2} {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 6

Combine $\frac{3}{2}$ and ${(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} \frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 7

By the Sum Rule, the derivative of $a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}}$ with respect to $x$ is $\frac{d}{d x} [a^{\frac{2}{3}}] + \frac{d}{d x} [- x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$ .

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

Step 8

Since $a^{\frac{2}{3}}$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $a^{\frac{2}{3}}$ with respect to $x$ is $0$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (0 + \frac{d}{d x} [- x^{\frac{2}{3}}])$

Step 9

Add $0$ and $\frac{d}{d x} [- x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} \frac{d}{d x} [- x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$

Step 10

Since $- 1$ is constant with respect to $x$ , the derivative of $- x^{\frac{2}{3}}$ with respect to $x$ is $- \frac{d}{d x} [x^{\frac{2}{3}}]$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- \frac{d}{d x} [x^{\frac{2}{3}}])$

Step 11

Differentiate using the Power Rule which states that $\frac{d}{d x} [x^{n}]$ is $n x^{n - 1}$ where $n = \frac{2}{3}$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{\frac{2}{3} - 1}))$

Step 12

To write $- 1$ as a fraction with a common denominator, multiply by $\frac{3}{3}$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{\frac{2}{3} - 1 \cdot \frac{3}{3}}))$

Step 13

Combine $- 1$ and $\frac{3}{3}$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{\frac{2}{3} + \frac{- 1 \cdot 3}{3}}))$

Step 14

Combine the numerators over the common denominator.

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{\frac{2 - 1 \cdot 3}{3}}))$

Step 15

Simplify the numerator.

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Step 15.1

Multiply $- 1$ by $3$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{\frac{2 - 3}{3}}))$

Step 15.2

Subtract $3$ from $2$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{\frac{- 1}{3}}))$

Step 16

Move the negative in front of the fraction.

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- (\frac{2}{3} x^{- \frac{1}{3}}))$

Step 17

Combine $\frac{2}{3}$ and $x^{- \frac{1}{3}}$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- \frac{2 x^{- \frac{1}{3}}}{3})$

Step 18

Move $x^{- \frac{1}{3}}$ to the denominator using the negative exponent rule $b^{- n} = \frac{1}{b^{n}}$ .

$\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2} (- \frac{2}{3 x^{\frac{1}{3}}})$

Step 19

Multiply $\frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2}$ by $\frac{2}{3 x^{\frac{1}{3}}}$ .

$- \frac{3 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}} \cdot 2}{2 (3 x^{\frac{1}{3}})}$

Step 20

Multiply.

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Step 20.1

Multiply $2$ by $3$ .

$- \frac{6 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{2 (3 x^{\frac{1}{3}})}$

Step 20.2

Multiply $3$ by $2$ .

$- \frac{6 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{6 x^{\frac{1}{3}}}$

Step 21

Cancel the common factor.

$- \frac{6 {(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{6 x^{\frac{1}{3}}}$

Step 22

Rewrite the expression.

$- \frac{{(a^{\frac{2}{3}} - x^{\frac{2}{3}})}^{\frac{1}{2}}}{x^{\frac{1}{3}}}$