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Differentiation practice questions — IB Maths AA

21 free multiple-choice problems on differentiation, ordered to match IB Maths AA difficulty, each with a full worked solution. No account needed — and there's a fresh problem set every day.

Problems & worked solutions

Problem #0120 International

Problem 1Differentiation

Compute f(1)f'(1) where f(x)=lnxxf(x) = \dfrac{\ln x}{x}.

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 00
  2. B. 11✓ correct
  3. C. 1-1
  4. D. 12\tfrac{1}{2}

f(x)=(1/x)xlnx1x2=1lnxx2f'(x) = \dfrac{(1/x) \cdot x - \ln x \cdot 1}{x^2} = \dfrac{1 - \ln x}{x^2}. At x=1x = 1: 101=1\dfrac{1 - 0}{1} = 1.

Problem #0119 International

Problem 2Differentiation

Compute f(x)f'(x) for f(x)=tan(x2)f(x) = \tan(x^2).

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. sec2(x2)\sec^2(x^2)
  2. B. 2xtan(x2)2x \tan(x^2)
  3. C. 2xsec2(x2)2x \sec^2(x^2)✓ correct
  4. D. sec2(2x)\sec^2(2x)

Outer: sec2(x2)\sec^2(x^2). Inner derivative: 2x2x. So f(x)=2xsec2(x2)f'(x) = 2x\sec^2(x^2).

Problem #0796 UK A-Level

Problem 3Differentiation

The function ff is defined by f(x)=(2x1)4(x+1).f(x) = (2x-1)^4(x+1). Find the value of f(1)f'(1).

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 88
  2. B. 99
  3. C. 1616
  4. D. 1717✓ correct

Apply the product rule with u=(2x1)4u=(2x-1)^4 and v=x+1v=x+1.

Differentiate each part (chain rule on uu): u=4(2x1)32=8(2x1)3,v=1.u' = 4(2x-1)^3\cdot 2 = 8(2x-1)^3, \qquad v' = 1.

So f(x)=8(2x1)3(x+1)+(2x1)4.f'(x) = 8(2x-1)^3(x+1) + (2x-1)^4.

Factor out (2x1)3(2x-1)^3: f(x)=(2x1)3[8(x+1)+(2x1)]=(2x1)3(10x+7).f'(x) = (2x-1)^3\big[\,8(x+1) + (2x-1)\,\big] = (2x-1)^3(10x+7).

Substitute x=1x=1, where 2x1=12x-1=1: f(1)=(1)3(10+7)=17.f'(1) = (1)^3(10+7) = 17.

Problem #0879 US AP

Problem 4Differentiation

By Fermat's theorem on interior extrema, if f(x)=x26x+5f(x) = x^{2} - 6x + 5 attains its minimum on R\mathbb{R} at x=cx = c, then cc equals:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 3-3
  2. B. 00
  3. C. 33✓ correct
  4. D. 55

f(x)=2x6f'(x) = 2x - 6.

Setting f(c)=0f'(c) = 0: 2c6=0    c=32c - 6 = 0 \implies c = 3.

Since f(x)=2>0f''(x) = 2 > 0, this is indeed a minimum.

Problem #0113 International

Problem 5Differentiation

Compute f(x)f'(x) for f(x)=xexf(x) = x e^x.

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. exe^x
  2. B. xexx e^x
  3. C. ex(x+1)e^x(x + 1)✓ correct
  4. D. ex(x1)e^x(x - 1)

f(x)=(x)ex+x(ex)=ex+xex=ex(x+1)f'(x) = (x)' e^x + x (e^x)' = e^x + x e^x = e^x(x + 1).

Problem #0878 US AP

Problem 6Differentiation

By Rolle's Theorem applied to f(x)=x24f(x) = x^{2} - 4 on [2,2][-2, 2], the guaranteed value c(2,2)c \in (-2, 2) with f(c)=0f'(c) = 0 is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. c=1c = 1
  2. B. c=0c = 0✓ correct
  3. C. c=1c = -1
  4. D. c=2c = 2

ff is a polynomial (continuous on [2,2][-2,2], differentiable on (2,2)(-2,2)), and f(2)=0=f(2)f(-2) = 0 = f(2), so Rolle's hypotheses hold.

f(x)=2xf'(x) = 2x, so f(c)=0    c=0f'(c) = 0 \implies c = 0.

Problem #0114 International

Problem 7Differentiation

Compute f(x)f'(x) for f(x)=sin(3x)f(x) = \sin(3x).

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. cos(3x)\cos(3x)
  2. B. 3cos(3x)3\cos(3x)✓ correct
  3. C. 13cos(3x)\tfrac{1}{3}\cos(3x)
  4. D. 3sin(3x)3\sin(3x)

ddxsin(3x)=cos(3x)3=3cos(3x)\tfrac{d}{dx}\,\sin(3x) = \cos(3x) \cdot 3 = 3\cos(3x).

Problem #0876 US AP

Problem 8Differentiation

Using the definition f(a)=limh0f(a+h)f(a)hf'(a) = \displaystyle\lim_{h\to 0} \dfrac{f(a+h) - f(a)}{h}, the derivative of f(x)=x2f(x) = x^{2} at x=3x = 3 is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 33
  2. B. 99
  3. C. 66✓ correct
  4. D. 00

f(3+h)f(3)h=(3+h)29h=9+6h+h29h=6h+h2h=6+h\dfrac{f(3+h) - f(3)}{h} = \dfrac{(3+h)^{2} - 9}{h} = \dfrac{9 + 6h + h^{2} - 9}{h} = \dfrac{6h + h^{2}}{h} = 6 + h.

limh0(6+h)=6\displaystyle\lim_{h\to 0}(6 + h) = 6.

Problem #0877 US AP

Problem 9Differentiation

Apply the Mean Value Theorem to f(x)=x2f(x) = x^{2} on [0,4][0, 4]. The value c(0,4)c \in (0,4) satisfying f(c)=f(4)f(0)40f'(c) = \dfrac{f(4) - f(0)}{4 - 0} is:

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. c=4c = 4
  2. B. c=2c = 2✓ correct
  3. C. c=1c = 1
  4. D. c=0c = 0

Average rate: f(4)f(0)40=1604=4\dfrac{f(4) - f(0)}{4 - 0} = \dfrac{16 - 0}{4} = 4.

f(x)=2xf'(x) = 2x, so f(c)=4    2c=4    c=2f'(c) = 4 \implies 2c = 4 \implies c = 2.

2(0,4)2 \in (0, 4) ✓.

Problem #0116 International

Problem 10Differentiation

Compute f(x)f'(x) for f(x)=(x2+1)5f(x) = (x^2 + 1)^5.

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 5(x2+1)45(x^2 + 1)^4
  2. B. 5x(x2+1)45x(x^2 + 1)^4
  3. C. 10x(x2+1)410x(x^2 + 1)^4✓ correct
  4. D. (2x)5(2x)^5

f(x)=5(x2+1)42x=10x(x2+1)4f'(x) = 5(x^2 + 1)^4 \cdot 2x = 10x(x^2 + 1)^4.

11 more Differentiation questions in the app

Also covered in Differentiation practice across every exam.

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