54 The AP CALCULUS PROBLEM BOOK

2.18 Sample A.P. Problems on Derivatives

!
x2 x≤1
650. Let f (x) =
2x x > 1.

a) Find f % (x) for x < 1.

b) Find f % (x) for x > 1.

c) Find lim f % (x).

x→1−

d) Find lim f % (x).

x→1+

e) Does f % (1) exist? Explain.

651. Let f be the function with derivative f % (x) = sin(x2 ) and f (0) = −1.

a) Find the tangent line to f at x = 0.

b) Use your answer to part (a) to approximate the value of f at x = 0.1.

c) Is the actual value of f at x = 0.1 greater than or less than the approximation from part
(b)? Justify your answer.
√
652 (1987AB). Let f (x) = 1 − sin x.

a) What is the domain of f ?

b) Find f % (x).

c) What is the domain of f % ?

d) Write an equation for the line tangent to the graph of f at x = 0.

653 (1994AB). Consider the curve defined by x2 + xy + y 2 = 27.

a) Write an expression for the slope of the curve at any point (x, y).

b) Determine whether the lines tangent to the curve at the x-intercepts of the curve are
parallel. Show the analysis that leads to your conclusion.

c) Find the points on the curve where the lines tangent to the curve are vertical.

654 (1994AB). A circle is inscribed in a square. The circumference of the circle is increasing at
a constant rate of 6 inches per second. As the circle expands, the square expands to maintain
the condition of tangency.

a) Find the rate at which the perimeter of the square is increasing. Indicate units of measure.

b) At the instant when the area of the circle is 25π square inches, find the rate of increase
in the area enclosed between the circle and the square. Indicate units of measure.
CHAPTER 2. DERIVATIVES 55
B

x
y

θ
A C
100

655 (1988BC). The figure above represents an observer at point A watching balloon B as it rises
from point C. The balloon is rising at a constant rate of 3 meters per second and the observer
is 100 meters from point C.

a) Find the rate of change in x at the instant when y = 50.

b) Find the rate of change in the area of right triangle BCA at the instant when y = 50.

c) Find the rate of change in θ at the instant when y = 50.

ax + b
656 (1990AB). Let f be the function given by f (x) = and that has the following prop-
x2 − c
erties.
(i) The graph of f is symmetric to the y-axis.
(ii) lim f (x) = ∞.
x→2+
(iii) f % (1) = −2.

a) Determine the values of a, b, and c.

b) Write an equation for each vertical and horizontal asymptote of the graph of f .

c) Sketch the graph of f .

657 (1993BC). Let f be a function differentiable throughout its domain and that has the fol-
lowing properties.
f (x) + f (y)
(i) f (x + y) = for all real numbers x and y in the domain of f .
1 − f (x)f (y)
(ii) lim f (h) = 0.
h→0
f (h)
(iii) lim = 1.
h→0 h

a) Show that f (0) = 0.

b) Use the definition of the derivative to show that f % (x) = 1 + [f (x)]2 . Indicate clearly
where properties (i), (ii), and (iii) are used.

It has been said that World War One was a chemist’s war and that World War Two was a physicist’s war.
There are those who say that the next World War, if one should occur, will be a mathematician’s war. —John
H. Curtiss
56 The AP CALCULUS PROBLEM BOOK

2.19 Multiple-Choice Problems on Derivatives

 2
x + x
x %= 0
658. Let F (x) = x Which of the following statements are true of F ?
1 x = 0.

I. F is defined at x = 0.
II. lim F (x) exists.
x→0
III. F is continuous at x = 0.

A) I only B) II only C) I, II only D) II, III only E) I, II, and III

659. If P (x) = (3x + 2)3 then the third derivative of P at x = 0 is

A) 0 B) 9 C) 54 D) 162 E) 224

660. If F (x) = 3x then F % (5) =

1
A) 0 B) 5 C) −5 D) 3 E) − 15

661. The slope of the curve y 3 − xy 2 = 4 at the point where y = 2 is

1
A) −2 B) 4 C) − 12 D) 1
2 E) 2

662. If F (x) = x/(x − 1)2 then the set of all x for which F (x) exists is

A) all real numbers B) {x|x %= −1} C) {x|x %= 13 } D) {x|x %= ±1} E) {x|x %= 1}

663. If lim G(x) = K, then which of the following must be true?

x→b

A) G% (b) exists.
B) G(x) is continuous at x = b.
C) G(x) is defined at x = b.
D) G(b) = K.
E) None of the above must be true.
664. Which of the following functions are continuous for all real numbers x?

√ 3x − 1
I. y = x4/3 II. y = 3
3x − 1 III. y =
4x2 + 5

A) None of these B) I only C) II only D) I, II only E) I, II, and III

665. The equation of the tangent line to the curve y = x2 − 4x at the point where the curve
crosses the y-axis is

A) y = 8x − 4 B) y = −4x C) y = −4 D) y = 4x E) y = 4x − 8

666. The tangent to the curve y = 2xe−x is horizontal when x =

1
A) −2 B) 1 C) −1 D) e E) None of the above

If you have an unpleasant nature and dislike people, that is no obstacle to work. —J. G. Bennett
CHAPTER 2. DERIVATIVES 57

ex
) *
dy
667. If y = ln , then =
ex − 10 dx
ex 1 10 ex − 20
A) x − B) − C) D) 0 E)
ex − 10 ex 10 − ex ex − 10
√ dy
668. If y = ln(x x2 + 1), then =
dx
x 1 2x2 + 1 2x2 + 1 x2 + x + 1
A) 1 + 2
B) 1 + √ C) √ D) E)
x +1 x x2 + 1 x x2 + 1 x(x2 + 1) x(x2 + 1)
dy
669. If y = e−x ln x then when x = 1 is
dx
2 1
A) 0 B) Does not exist C) D) E) e
e e
670. The slope of the line tangent to the graph of y = ln x2 at x = e2 is
1 2 4 1 4
A) B) C) D) E)
e2 e2 e2 e4 e4
dy
671. If y = ln(x2 + y 2 ) then the value of at (1, 0) is
dx
A) 0 B) −1 C) 1 D) 2 E) undefined
3w dz
672. If z = , then =
cos w dw
3 3 cos w − 3w sin w 3
A) − B) C)
sin w cos2 w sin w
3 cos w + 3w sin w
D) E) None of the above
cos2 w
1
673. Find the derivative of y = .
2 sin 2x
cos 2x
A) − csc 2x cot 2x B) − csc2 2x C) −4 csc 2x cot 2x D) √ E) 4 sec 2x
2 sin 2x
√ dy
674. If y = sec2 x then =
dx
√ √ √
sec x tan x tan x √ √
A) √ B) √ C) 2 sec x tan2 x
x √ √ x
sec2 x tan x √ √
D) √ E) 2 sec2 x tan x
x
675. If y = sin 11x cos 11x, then the derivative of y is

A) 11 cos 11x B) 11 cos 22x C) sin2 11x − cos2 11x

2
D) −121 sin 11x E) −121 sin 11x cos 11x