Quick questions on Differentiation: first principles and the chain, product and quotient rules - OCR A-Level Maths A

4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.

What is the chain rule?

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The chain rule differentiates a composite "outer first, then times the inside derivative". It is the most-used rule and the most common source of dropped marks.

What are combining the rules?

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Many derivatives need two rules at once, for example a product where one factor is itself a composite. Differentiate piece by piece and keep your working laid out so method marks survive a slip.

What is q1?

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Differentiate

y = e^{3x}\cos x

. [3 marks]

What is q2?

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A curve is given by

y^2 = 4x

. Find

\dfrac{dy}{dx}

in terms of

y

. [2 marks]

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