Math 160 - Assignment 3 Solutions - Summer 2012 - BSU - Jaimos F Skriletz 1

1. Limit Definition of the Derivative

f (x + h) − f (x)
Use the limit definition of the derivative, lim , to find the derivatives of the following functions:
h→0 h
In the following I do the whole derivative in one step, but you are welcome to split it up into multiple steps.
(a) f (x) = 3x − 5x2

f (x + h) − f (x) [3(x + h) − 5(x + h)2 ] − [3x − 5x2 ]

f 0 (x) = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
3x + 3h − 5x2 − 10xh − 5h2 − 3x + 5x2
= lim
h→0 h
2
3h − 10xh − 5h
= lim
h→0 h
h(3 − 10x − 5h)
= lim
h→0 h
= lim (3 − 10x − 5h)
h→0
= 3 − 10x − 5(0) = 3 − 10x

Thus the derivative is f 0 (x) = 3 − 10x

1
(b) f (x) = x2

1 1
f (x + h) − f (x) (x+h)2 − x2
f 0 (x) = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
x2 −(x+h)2
x2 (x+h)2
= lim
h→0 h
x2 − x2 − 2xh − h2 1
= lim ·
h→0 x2 (x + h)2 h
−h(2x + h)
= lim
h→0 hx2 (x + h)2

−(2x + h)
= lim 2
h→0 x (x + h)2

−(2x + 0) −2x −2
= 2 2
= 4 = 3
x (x + 0) x x
−2
Thus the derivative is f 0 (x) =
x3
(c) f (x) = mx + b

f (x + h) − f (x) [m(x + h) + b] − [mx + b]

f 0 (x) = lim = lim
h→0 h h→0 h
mx + mh + b − mx − b
= lim
h→0 h
mh
= lim
h→0 h
= lim m = m
h→0

Thus the derivative is f 0 (x) = m

(This of course should be the expected result since the derivative gives the slope and the slope of the line f (x) =
mx + b is m.)
Math 160 - Assignment 3 Solutions - Summer 2012 - BSU - Jaimos F Skriletz 2

2. Power Rule
Use the power rule and basic properties of the derivative to find the derivatives of the following functions:
(a) P (x) = 12x5 − 7x3 − 6x + 52

P 0 (x) = 12(5x4 ) − 7(3x2 ) − 6 + 0 = 60x4 − 21x2 − 6

(b) f (x) = −0.002x2.13 + 6.78x1.25 − 5x0.34

f 0 (x) = −0.002(2.13x1.13 ) + 6.78(1.25x0.25 ) − 5(0.34x−0.66 ) = −0.00426x1.13 + 8.475x0.25 − 1.7x−0.66

√ 12
(c) f (x) = 6 x − √ = 6x1/2 − 12x−1/2
x
3 6
f 0 (x) = 3x−1/2 + 6x−3/2 = √ + √
x x3

x3 − 6x2 + 2x − 1 x3 6x2 2x 1
(d) g(x) = 2
= 2 − 2 + 2 − 2 = x − 6 + 2x−1 − x−2
x x x x x
2 2 x3 − 2x + 2
g 0 (x) = 1 − 2x−2 + 2x−3 = 1 − 2
+ 3 =
x x x3
3. Quadratic Function
Consider the quadratic function Q(x) = ax2 + bx + c where a 6= 0.
(a) The derivative is Q0 (x) = 2ax + b
(b) The function has an horizontal tangent line if

Q0 (x) = 2ax + b = 0
2ax = −b
−b
x=
2a
−b
Thus this quadratic has a horizontal tangent line (which is the vertex) at the point x = .
2a
Math 160 - Assignment 3 Solutions - Summer 2012 - BSU - Jaimos F Skriletz 3

4. Tangent Lines
Consider the function f (x) = x3 − 3x2 − 9x + 11.
(a) The derivative to the function is
f 0 (x) = 3x2 − 6x − 9

At the point x = 1 the tangent line to f (x) will pass though the point

(1, f (1)) = (1, 0)

And the slope of the tangent line is

m = f 0 (1) = −12
Thus the equation of the tangent line at x = 1 is

y − y1 = m(x − x1 )
y − 0 = −12(x − 1)
y = −12x + 12

(b) The tangent line to f (x) is horizontal when

f 0 (x) = 3x2 − 6x − 9 = 0
3(x2 − 2x − 3) = 0
3(x + 1)(x − 3) = 0
x = −1 or x = 3

Thus the function has two points which have horizontal tangent lines, those are

(−1, f (−1)) = (−1, 16) and (3, f (3)) = (3, −16)

(c) The graph of f (x) which shows the how the info you found in the above problem relates to the graphical Properties
of the function.
Math 160 - Assignment 3 Solutions - Summer 2012 - BSU - Jaimos F Skriletz 4

5. Marginal Economics
A company is planning to manufacture and market a four-slice toaster. For this toaster, research department’s estimates
are a weekly demand of 300 toasters at a price of $25 per toaster and a weekly demand of 400 toasters at a price of
$20 per toaster. The financial department’s estimates are a fixed weekly costs of $5,000 and a variable cost of $5 per
toaster.
Let p be the price per toaster and x be the number sold each week (weekly demand).
(a) Assuming the relation ship is linear, we have a line that passes though the two points

(x1 , p1 ) = (300, 25) and (x2 , p1 ) = (400, 20)

Thus the slope of the line is

∆p 20 − 25 −5 −1
m= = = = = −0.05
∆x 400 − 300 100 20
Thus the equation of the line is

p − p1 = m(x − x1 )
p − 25 = −0.05(x − 300)
p − 25 = −0.05x + 15
p = −0.05x + 40

Now we are only interested in the part of this line that is in the first quadrant. Thus we want to ensure that both
x ≥ 0 and p ≥ 0. The second inequality gives

p = −0.05x + 40 ≥ 0
−0.05x ≥ −40
−40
x≤ = 800
−0.05
Thus the domain is 0 ≤ x ≤ 800
(b) The revenue function is R(x) = xp = x(−0.05x + 40) = −0.05x2 + 40x
The domain of this function is the same as the demand, so 0 ≤ x ≤ 800.
(c) Assuming the cost function is linear with fixed costs of $5,000 and a variable cost of $5 per toaster gives

C(x) = 5x + 5000

(d) The break-even points occur when

R(x) = C(x)
2
−0.05x + 40x = 5x + 5000
2
−0.05x + 35x − 5000 = 0
x2 − 700x + 100000 = 0
(x − 200)(x − 500) = 0
x = 200 or x = 500

Thus the two break even points occur at x = 200 and x = 500 as seen in the following graph.
Math 160 - Assignment 3 Solutions - Summer 2012 - BSU - Jaimos F Skriletz 5

(e) The profit function is

P (x) = R(x) − C(x) = [−0.05x2 + 40x] − [5x + 5000] = −0.05x2 + 35x − 5000

(f) The average profit is

P (x) −0.05x2 + 35x − 5000
P (x) = =
x x
If x = 325 then the average profit is P (325) = $3.37 per unit.
If x = 425 then the average profit is P (425) = $1.99 per unit.
(g) The marginal profit is
P 0 (x) = −0.1x + 35
If x = 325 then the marginal profit is P 0 (325) = $2.5.
If x = 425 then the marginal profit is P 0 (425) = −$7.5.
(h) At a production level of x = 325 units the average profit is $3.37 per unit, while the profit would increase at an
instantaneous rate of $2.50 per unit if you were to increase the production level.
In contrast at a production level of x = 425 units the average profit is $1.99 per unit, but the profit would decrease
at an instantaneous rate of $7.50 per unit if you were to increase your production level.