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2
The gradient takes its largest
negative value here
-1
Using this information, you can sketch the graph of the derivative of sin x:
-1
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You can see why radians are the natural choice when differentiating
trigonometric functions by using the Geogebra resource Why radians are the
natural choice.
to the left:
2
y = cos x
1
gradient of y = cos x
-1
This looks like the reflection of y = sin x in the x-axis, which is y = sin x. So:
d
d
(sin x) cos x ,
(cos x) sin x
dx
dx
You can see the full justification for these results in the Differentiating sine
and cosine from first principles video.
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Example 1
Differentiate y sin 2 x
Solution
Using the chain rule with u 2 x :
du
u 2x
2
dx
dy
y sin u
cos u
du
dy dy du
dx du dx
cos u 2
2 cos 2 x
You can use these results directly, without having to write out the chain rule.
Here are some more examples.
Example 2
Differentiate:
(i) cos2 x
(ii) sin x
(iii) e x tan x
(iv)
sin x
,
1 cos x
Solution
(i)
du
sin x
dx
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dx du dx
2u ( sin x)
2 cos x sin x
y u2
(ii)
x
y sin x sin
180
dy
cos
dx 180
180
180
180
cos x
(iii)
(iv)
(1 cos x) 2
(1 cos x) 2
cos x 1
(1 cos x) 2
1
1 cos x
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