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Ch. 3 - Derivatives
Hass - Thomas' Calculus 15th Edition
Hass15th EditionThomas' CalculusISBN: 9780137616077Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 3, Problem 3.6.54

In Exercises 41–58, find dy/dt.


y = 4 sin(√(1 + √t))

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1
First, identify the function y = 4 sin(√(1 + √t)). We need to find dy/dt, which involves differentiating y with respect to t.
Notice that y is a composite function. It involves the sine function, a square root, and another square root inside. We will use the chain rule to differentiate it.
Start by differentiating the outer function: y = 4 sin(u), where u = √(1 + √t). The derivative of sin(u) with respect to u is cos(u). Therefore, dy/du = 4 cos(u).
Next, differentiate u = √(1 + √t) with respect to t. This requires using the chain rule again. Let v = 1 + √t, so u = √v. The derivative of √v with respect to v is 1/(2√v).
Finally, differentiate v = 1 + √t with respect to t. The derivative of √t with respect to t is 1/(2√t). Combine all these derivatives using the chain rule to find dy/dt.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Chain Rule

The chain rule is a fundamental technique in calculus used to differentiate composite functions. It states that if a function y = f(g(x)) is composed of two functions, the derivative dy/dx is f'(g(x)) * g'(x). In this problem, the chain rule helps differentiate the nested functions within y = 4 sin(√(1 + √t)).
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Intro to the Chain Rule

Derivative of Sine Function

The derivative of the sine function is crucial for solving this problem. The derivative of sin(u) with respect to u is cos(u). When differentiating y = 4 sin(√(1 + √t)), this rule is applied to find the derivative of the sine component, which is part of the composite function.
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Derivatives of Sine & Cosine

Derivative of Square Root Function

Understanding how to differentiate square root functions is essential here. The derivative of √u with respect to u is 1/(2√u). This rule is applied twice in the problem: first to differentiate √t and then to differentiate √(1 + √t), which are nested within the sine function.
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Derivatives of Other Trig Functions Example 1