What is the derivative of f(x)=sqrt(3x+2)=(3x+2)^(1/2)?

By the power rule, the derivative of x^(n) is nx(n^1) and by the chain rule, the derivative of g(h(x)) is g'(h(x))h'(x).
Let g(x)=x^(1/2) and h(x)=3x+2 so that f(x)=g(h(x)).

Then by the power rule, g'(x)=(1/2)x^(-1/2)=1/(2x^(1/2)). Evidently, h'(x)=3.

So, by the chain rule, f'(x)=g'(h(x))h'(x)=3/(2(3x+2)^(1/2)).

LP

Related Maths A Level answers

All answers ▸

Find the nature of the turning points of the graph given by the equation x^4 +(8/3)*x^3 -2x^2 -8x +177 (6 marks)


Prove by contradiction that 2^(1/3) is an irrational number


The line AB has equation 3x + 5y = 7. What is the gradient of AB?


Show that the cubic function f(x) = x^3 - 7x - 6 has a root x = -1 and hence factorise it fully.