Question #3a2d9

1 Answer
Oct 23, 2017

dy/dx = (2x)/5 * 5((x^2+4)/5)^4 = 2x((x^2+4)/5)^4

Explanation:

We can most easily do this via the Chain Rule. The Chain Rule states that, given a function composition f(g(x)), (df)/dx = (dg)/dx *(df)/(dg). Considering the function e^(x^2), we have g(x) = x^2, f(h) = e^(g). Then (dg)/dx = 2x, (df)/(dg) = e^(g), giving us (df)/dx = 2x*e^(x^2)

For this problem, we would have y(x) = f(g(x)), g(x) = (x^2+4)/5, f(g) = g^5. Then (dg)/dx = (2x)/5, (df)/(dg) = 5g^4. Substituting (x^2+4)/5 back in for g, we get...

dy/dx = (2x)/5 * 5((x^2+4)/5)^4 = 2x((x^2+4)/5)^4