How do you find the derivative of y = ln[(x+3)/x^2)]?

2 Answers
Dec 2, 2016

dy/dx = -(x +6)/(x(x +3))

Explanation:

We let y = lnu and u = (x + 3)/x^2

Then dy/(du) = 1/u and (du)/dx = (1(x^2) - 2x(x + 3))/(x^2)^2 = (x^2 - 2x^2 - 6x)/x^4 = (-x(x + 6))/x^4 = -(x + 6)/x^3

The chain rule states that color(red)(dy/dx= dy/(du) xx (du)/dx.

dy/dx = 1/u xx -(x + 6)/x^3

dy/dx= (-(x + 6)/x^3)/((x + 3)/x^2)

dy/dx= -(x + 6)/x^3 xx x^2/(x + 3)

dy/dx = -(x +6)/(x(x +3))

Hopefully this helps!

Dec 2, 2016

We can also rewrite this the logarithm rules log(a/b)=log(a)-log(b) and log(c^d)=dlog(c).

y=ln((x+3)/x^2)=ln(x+3)-ln(x^2)

color(white)(y=ln((x+3)/x^2))=ln(x+3)-2ln(x)

We should know that d/dxln(x)=1/x. Applying the chain rule to this shows us that d/dxln(u)=1/u*(du)/dx.

Then:

dy/dx=1/(x+3)*d/dx(x+3)-2(1/x)

Since d/dx(x+3)=1:

dy/dx=1/(x+3)-2/x

Finding a common denominator:

dy/dx=(x-2(x+3))/(x(x+3))

color(white)(dy/dx)=(-x-6)/(x(x+3))

color(white)(dy/dx)=-(x+6)/(x(x+3))