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Last updated on September 27, 2025
We use the derivative of 4xy to understand how this function changes in response to a slight change in x and y. Derivatives help us calculate profit or loss in real-life situations. We will now talk about the derivative of 4xy in detail.
We now understand the derivative of 4xy. It is commonly represented as d/dx (4xy) or (4xy)', and its value depends on the context in which it is differentiated. The function 4xy has a clearly defined derivative, indicating it is differentiable with respect to x or y.
The key concepts are mentioned below:
Product Rule: Rule for differentiating products of functions, like 4xy.
Partial Derivatives: When dealing with functions of multiple variables, we differentiate with respect to one variable while keeping others constant.
The derivative of 4xy can be expressed using partial derivatives or the product rule. If you're differentiating with respect to x, then: ∂/∂x (4xy) = 4y
If you're differentiating with respect to y, then: ∂/∂y (4xy) = 4x These formulas apply to all x and y in the domain of the function.
We can derive the derivative of 4xy using proofs. To show this, we will use the product rule and partial derivatives.
There are several methods we use to prove this, such as:
For the function 4xy, we apply the product rule: To differentiate with respect to x: d/dx (4xy) = 4 * d/dx (xy) = 4 * (y + x * dy/dx) If we assume y is a constant, then dy/dx = 0: d/dx (4xy) = 4y To differentiate with respect to y: d/dy (4xy) = 4 * d/dy (xy) = 4 * (x + y * dx/dy) If we assume x is a constant, then dx/dy = 0: d/dy (4xy) = 4x
When using partial derivatives, we treat other variables as constants: ∂/∂x (4xy) = 4y ∂/∂y (4xy) = 4x Hence, the derivative of 4xy can be calculated using either method.
When a function is differentiated several times, the derivatives obtained are referred to as higher-order derivatives. For a simple product like 4xy, higher-order derivatives involve further differentiation with respect to x or y. To understand them better, consider how further differentiation affects each variable.
For the first derivative with respect to x, we write f′(x) = 4y, which indicates how the function changes with a change in x. For the second derivative with respect to x, f′′(x) = 0, indicating no further change with respect to x alone.
For higher-order derivatives, this pattern continues, leading to zero since each differentiation removes the variable.
When either x or y is zero, the derivative with respect to the other variable becomes zero as the entire term 4xy becomes zero.
When x or y is a constant, the derivative with respect to the other variable is simply the constant multiplied by 4.
Students frequently make mistakes when differentiating 4xy. These mistakes can be resolved by understanding the proper solutions. Here are a few common mistakes and ways to solve them:
Calculate the derivative of 4xy² with respect to x.
Here, we have f(x, y) = 4xy². Using partial derivatives, we treat y as a constant: ∂/∂x (4xy²) = 4y² Thus, the derivative of the specified function with respect to x is 4y².
We find the derivative of the given function by treating y as a constant and differentiating with respect to x to obtain the final result.
A company produces widgets at a rate modeled by w(x, y) = 4xy, where x is the number of workers and y is the hours worked. If x = 10 workers, find the rate of change of production with respect to hours worked.
We have w(x, y) = 4xy. To find the rate of change with respect to y, differentiate partially with respect to y: ∂w/∂y = 4x Substitute x = 10: ∂w/∂y = 4(10) = 40 Hence, the rate of change of production with respect to hours worked is 40 widgets per hour.
We find the rate of change of production by treating x as a constant and differentiating with respect to y.
Substituting the given value of x gives us the final rate.
Derive the second derivative of the function 4xy² with respect to x.
The first step is to find the first derivative with respect to x: ∂/∂x (4xy²) = 4y² Now, differentiate again with respect to x to get the second derivative: ∂²/∂x² (4xy²) = 0 Therefore, the second derivative of the function 4xy² with respect to x is 0.
We use a step-by-step process where we start with the first derivative and differentiate again with respect to x, resulting in zero for the second derivative.
Prove: ∂/∂x (4x²y) = 8xy.
Let’s start using partial derivatives: Consider the function 4x²y. Differentiate with respect to x: ∂/∂x (4x²y) = 4 * 2xy = 8xy Hence, proved.
In this step-by-step process, we use partial derivatives to differentiate the equation with respect to x and simplify the result to derive the equation.
Solve: ∂/∂y (4xy/2).
To differentiate the function, treat x as a constant: ∂/∂y (4xy/2) = (4x/2) = 2x Therefore, ∂/∂y (4xy/2) = 2x.
In this process, we differentiate the given function with respect to y while treating x as a constant and simplify the equation to obtain the final result.
Jaskaran Singh Saluja is a math wizard with nearly three years of experience as a math teacher. His expertise is in algebra, so he can make algebra classes interesting by turning tricky equations into simple puzzles.
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