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What is the specic formula for the derivative of the function cos x?
This calculation is very similar to that of the derivative of sin(x). If you get
stuck on a step here it may help to go back and review the corresponding step
there.
d
As in the calculation of dx sin x, we begin with the denition of the derivative:
d cos(x + x) cos(x)
cos x = lim
dx x0 x
Use the angle sum formula cos(a + b) = cos(a) cos(b) sin(a) sin(b) and then
simplify:
d cos x cos x sin x sin x cos x
cos x = lim
dx x0
x
cos x cos x cos x sin x sin x
= lim +
x0 x x
cos x(cos x 1) sin x sin x
= lim +
x0 x x
cos x 1 sin x
= lim cos x + ( sin x)
x0 x x
d cos x 1 sin x
cos x = lim cos x + lim ( sin x)
dx x0 x x0 x
cos x 1
lim = 0 (A)
x0 x
sin x
lim = 1. (B)
x0 x
And we conclude:
d cos x 1 sin x
cos x = lim cos x + lim ( sin x)
dx x0 x x0 x
= cos x 0 + ( sin x) 1
d
cos x = sin(x).
dx
1
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