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Amy Ferguson Moncure

Calculus BC · Unit 2

Product Rule

Write u, u′, v, and v′. The derivative is u′v + uv′, not the product of the two derivatives.

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\((uv)' = u'v + uv'\)

What to Remember

Product rule

If \(f = uv\), then

\(f' = u'v + uv'\)

Name the factors

Write u, u′, v, and v′ on their own lines. Then substitute into the formula.

Do not multiply the derivatives

The derivative of a product is not \(u'v'\). Each derivative is paired with the other original factor.

Factor after you add

If both terms contain \(e^x\) or a power of x, factor it on the last line.

Level 1

Easy

One factor is a power of x. The other is sine, cosine, e^x, or ln x.

Example
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = x^2\sin x\).

\((uv)' = u'v + uv'\)

\(u = x^2,\quad u' = 2x\)

\(v = \sin x,\quad v' = \cos x\)

\(f'(x) = 2x\sin x + x^2\cos x\)

Answer: \(2x\sin x + x^2\cos x\)

1
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = x^3\cos x\).
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\(u = x^3,\quad u' = 3x^2\)

\(v = \cos x,\quad v' = -\sin x\)

\(f'(x) = 3x^2\cos x + x^3(-\sin x)\)

\(3x^2\cos x - x^3\sin x\)

Answer: \(3x^2\cos x - x^3\sin x\)

2
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = e^x\ln x\).
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\(u = e^x,\quad u' = e^x\)

\(v = \ln x,\quad v' = \dfrac{1}{x}\)

\(f'(x) = e^x\ln x + e^x\cdot\dfrac{1}{x}\)

\(e^x\left(\ln x + \dfrac{1}{x}\right)\)

Answer: \(e^x\left(\ln x + \dfrac{1}{x}\right)\)

3
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = (3x + 1)(x^2 - 4)\).
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\(u = 3x + 1,\quad u' = 3\)

\(v = x^2 - 4,\quad v' = 2x\)

\(f'(x) = 3(x^2 - 4) + (3x + 1)(2x)\)

\(3x^2 - 12 + 6x^2 + 2x\)

\(9x^2 + 2x - 12\)

Answer: \(9x^2 + 2x - 12\)

4
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = 5xe^x\).
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\(u = 5x,\quad u' = 5\)

\(v = e^x,\quad v' = e^x\)

\(f'(x) = 5e^x + 5xe^x\)

\(5e^x(1 + x)\)

Answer: \(5e^x(x + 1)\)

5
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = x^4\ln x\).
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\(u = x^4,\quad u' = 4x^3\)

\(v = \ln x,\quad v' = \dfrac{1}{x}\)

\(f'(x) = 4x^3\ln x + x^4\cdot\dfrac{1}{x}\)

\(4x^3\ln x + x^3\)

Answer: \(4x^3\ln x + x^3\)

Level 2

Medium

Keep both terms, or evaluate at one x-value.

Example
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = (x^2 + 1)\sin x\).

\(u = x^2 + 1,\quad u' = 2x\)

\(v = \sin x,\quad v' = \cos x\)

\(f'(x) = 2x\sin x + (x^2 + 1)\cos x\)

Answer: \(2x\sin x + (x^2 + 1)\cos x\)

1
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = \sqrt{x}\, e^x\).
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\(u = x^{1/2},\quad u' = \dfrac{1}{2\sqrt{x}}\)

\(v = e^x,\quad v' = e^x\)

\(f'(x) = \dfrac{e^x}{2\sqrt{x}} + \sqrt{x}\, e^x\)

Answer: \(e^x\left(\dfrac{1}{2\sqrt{x}} + \sqrt{x}\right)\)

2
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = (2x - 5)\ln x\).
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\(u = 2x - 5,\quad u' = 2\)

\(v = \ln x,\quad v' = \dfrac{1}{x}\)

\(f'(x) = 2\ln x + (2x - 5)\cdot\dfrac{1}{x}\)

Answer: \(2\ln x + \dfrac{2x - 5}{x}\)

3
For \(f(x) = x\cos x\), find \(f'(\pi)\).
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\(u = x,\quad u' = 1\)

\(v = \cos x,\quad v' = -\sin x\)

\(f'(x) = \cos x - x\sin x\)

Substitute \(x = \pi\).

\(\cos\pi - \pi\sin\pi = -1 - \pi\cdot 0 = -1\)

Answer: \(-1\)

4
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = (x^3 - 2x)e^x\).
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\(u = x^3 - 2x,\quad u' = 3x^2 - 2\)

\(v = e^x,\quad v' = e^x\)

\(f'(x) = (3x^2 - 2)e^x + (x^3 - 2x)e^x\)

\(e^x(x^3 + 3x^2 - 2x - 2)\)

Answer: \(e^x(x^3 + 3x^2 - 2x - 2)\)

5
For \(f(x) = (x^2 - 3)(2x + 1)\), find \(f'(1)\).
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\(u = x^2 - 3,\quad u' = 2x\)

\(v = 2x + 1,\quad v' = 2\)

\(f'(x) = 2x(2x + 1) + (x^2 - 3)\cdot 2\)

Substitute \(x = 1\).

\(2(1)(3) + (1 - 3)\cdot 2 = 6 - 4 = 2\)

Answer: \(2\)

Level 3

Hard

Simplify the sum, or catch the missing term.

Example
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = \sin x\cos x\).

\(u = \sin x,\quad u' = \cos x\)

\(v = \cos x,\quad v' = -\sin x\)

\(f'(x) = \cos x\cos x + \sin x(-\sin x)\)

\(\cos^2 x - \sin^2 x\)

Answer: \(\cos^2 x - \sin^2 x\)

1
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = e^x(x^2 - 3x + 1)\).
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\(u = e^x,\quad u' = e^x\)

\(v = x^2 - 3x + 1,\quad v' = 2x - 3\)

\(f'(x) = e^x(x^2 - 3x + 1) + e^x(2x - 3)\)

\(e^x\bigl(x^2 - 3x + 1 + 2x - 3\bigr)\)

\(e^x(x^2 - x - 2)\)

Answer: \(e^x(x^2 - x - 2)\)

2
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = \ln x\sin x\).
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\(u = \ln x,\quad u' = \dfrac{1}{x}\)

\(v = \sin x,\quad v' = \cos x\)

\(f'(x) = \dfrac{1}{x}\sin x + \ln x\cos x\)

Answer: \(\dfrac{\sin x}{x} + \ln x\cos x\)

3
Which expression is the derivative of \(x^2 e^x\)?
A. \(2xe^x\)
B. \(x^2 e^x\)
C. \(2xe^x + x^2 e^x\)
D. \(2xe^x + x^2\)
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\(u = x^2,\quad u' = 2x\)

\(v = e^x,\quad v' = e^x\)

\(u'v + uv' = 2xe^x + x^2 e^x\)

Choice A keeps only the first term. Choice D drops \(e^x\) from the second term.

Answer: C

4
For \(f(x) = x^2\ln x\), find \(f'(e)\).
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\(f'(x) = 2x\ln x + x^2\cdot\dfrac{1}{x} = 2x\ln x + x\)

Substitute \(x = e\).

\(2e\ln e + e = 2e\cdot 1 + e = 3e\)

Answer: \(3e\)

5
Find \(f'(x)\) for \(f(x) = (x - 4)(e^x + \sin x)\).
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\(u = x - 4,\quad u' = 1\)

\(v = e^x + \sin x,\quad v' = e^x + \cos x\)

\(f'(x) = 1\cdot(e^x + \sin x) + (x - 4)(e^x + \cos x)\)

Answer: \(e^x + \sin x + (x - 4)(e^x + \cos x)\)

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