IEA1002 - w2e 1

IEA1002 : Week 2 Exercises

1. [T] Let f (x) = 3x2 + 4x.

2
quadratic function, y = 3*x + 4*x
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−10
−5 −4 −3 −2 −1 0 1 2 3 4
x

Evaluate f (2) and f (2 + h).

f (2 + h) − f (2)
Calculate f (2 + h) − f (2) and lim .
h→0 h
f (a + h) − f (a)
Evaluate f (a) and f (a + h). Calculate f (a + h) − f (a) and lim .
h→0 h
Check that your answer agrees with the expected derivative of f .

2. Find the derivatives of the following polynomial functions. Evaluate each derivative at x = a for the
specified a. Then find the equation of the tangent line when x = a.

(a) [T] : f (x) = x4 + x3 + x2 , a = −1,

(b) [H] : g(x) = 3x7 − 4x4 + 5x, a = 1,

(c) [H] : h(x) = x15 + 2x10 + 2x + 3, a = 0.

3. [T] Expand the expression (x + h)6 .

4(a). [T] Consider the cubic polynomial

p(x) = x3 + 2x2 − 5x − 6 .

Show that p(−1) = 0 (and deduce that p(x) has factor (x + 1).
Divide p(x) by (x + 1), and then factorise the resulting quadratic.
Hence solve the equation p(x) = 0.

4(b) [T] Repeat with p(x) = x3 − 8x2 + 11x + 20.

IEA1002 - w2e 2

5. [H] Solve the cubic equation x3 − 3x2 + 26x − 24 = 0.

This cubic equation should have been x3 − 3x2 − 22x + 24 = 0.

6. [T] Differentiate the quadratic function f (x) = 3x2 − 6x + 5. Find the equation of the tangent line when
x = −1 and the tangent line when x = 1. Sketch the parabola and the two tangent lines.

7. [H] Differentiate the cubic function f (x) = x3 − 2x2 − 3x + 9. Find the equation of the tangent line T
when x = 2. Find another point P where T intersects the graph of f .

8. [H] Use the standard trigonometric formulae

 
2 sin A
sin(A + B) = sin A cos B + cos A sin B, cos(2A) − 1 = 2 sin A, lim = 1,
A→0 A

to obtain the derivative of sin x, working from the definition:

 
d sin(x + h) − sin x
(sin x) = lim .
dx h→0 h

9. [T] [This was Qu.1 on the Test in week 4 in 2009.]

Find the first and the second derivative of the function y = x4 − 2x2 + 4.

Calculate the gradient of this function at x = 2.

Find the equation of the tangent to this curve when x = 2.

Find all the local maximum points and minimum points of this curve.

Find the two points of inflection on this curve.

Draw a rough sketch of the graph of this function. (N.B. “find a point” means “calculate both coordinates”.)

10. Find all local minima, maxima and all points of inflection for the following functions.
Sketch the graphs of these functions.

(a) [T] y = x3 + 6x2 − 15x, (b) [H] y = x4 − 4x3 + 10, (c) [H] y = x5 − 10x3 .