AP Calculus BC

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Differentiation practice questions — AP Calculus BC

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

Problems & worked solutions

Problem #0119 International

Problem 1Differentiation

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 #0120 International

Problem 2Differentiation

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 #0116 International

Problem 3Differentiation

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.

Problem #0118 International

Problem 4Differentiation

If f(x)=cos(2x)f(x) = \cos(2x), what is f ⁣(π2)f'\!\left(\tfrac{\pi}{2}\right)?

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 2-2
  2. B. 00✓ correct
  3. C. 22
  4. D. 1-1

f(x)=2sin(2x)f'(x) = -2\sin(2x), so f(π2)=2sin(π)=0f'(\tfrac{\pi}{2}) = -2\sin(\pi) = 0.

Problem #0876 US AP

Problem 5Differentiation

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 #0114 International

Problem 6Differentiation

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 #0878 US AP

Problem 7Differentiation

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 #0761 FR Spé

Problem 8Differentiation

Let ff be the function defined on R\mathbb{R} by f(x)=2x1x2+1f(x) = \dfrac{2x - 1}{x^2 + 1}. What is the value of f(1)f'(1)?

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 12\dfrac{1}{2}✓ correct
  2. B. 12-\dfrac{1}{2}
  3. C. 11
  4. D. 22

With u=2x1u = 2x - 1 and v=x2+1v = x^2 + 1, we have u=2u' = 2 and v=2xv' = 2x, so f(x)=2(x2+1)(2x1)(2x)(x2+1)2f'(x) = \frac{2(x^2 + 1) - (2x - 1)(2x)}{(x^2 + 1)^2} At x=1x = 1 the numerator is 2(2)(1)(2)=42=22(2) - (1)(2) = 4 - 2 = 2 and the denominator is (12+1)2=22=4(1^2 + 1)^2 = 2^2 = 4 Therefore f(1)=24=12f'(1) = \frac{2}{4} = \frac{1}{2}

Problem #0010 International

Problem 9Differentiation

If f(x)=(x2+1)3f(x) = (x^2 + 1)^3, find f(1)f'(1).

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 1212
  2. B. 1818
  3. C. 2424✓ correct
  4. D. 4848

f(x)=3(x2+1)22x=6x(x2+1)2f'(x) = 3(x^2+1)^2 \cdot 2x = 6x(x^2+1)^2. At x=1x=1: 614=246 \cdot 1 \cdot 4 = 24.

Problem #0117 International

Problem 10Differentiation

Compute f(x)f'(x) for f(x)=x2lnxf(x) = x^2 \ln x (with x>0x > 0).

Show answer & worked solution
  1. A. 2xlnx2x \ln x
  2. B. x(2lnx+1)x(2\ln x + 1)✓ correct
  3. C. x21xx^2 \cdot \tfrac{1}{x}
  4. D. 2xlnx+x22x \ln x + x^2

f(x)=2xlnx+x21x=2xlnx+x=x(2lnx+1)f'(x) = 2x \ln x + x^2 \cdot \tfrac{1}{x} = 2x \ln x + x = x(2\ln x + 1).

11 more Differentiation questions in the app

Also covered in Differentiation practice across every exam.

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