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8- 1
1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

OBJECTIVES
 Find derivatives of higher order.

 Given a formula for distance, find velocity

and acceleration.

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Higher-Order Derivatives:
Consider the function given by
y  f (x)  x 5  3x 4  x.
Its derivative f  is given by
y  f (x)  5x 4 12x 3 1.
The derivative function f  can also be differentiated.
We can think of the derivative f  as the rate of change
of the slope of the tangent lines of f . It can also be
regarded as the rate at which f  x  is changing.

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Higher-Order Derivatives (continued):

We use the notation f for the derivative  f   .
That is, d
f (x)  f (x)
dx

We call f  the second derivative of f. For

y  f (x)  x 5  3x 4  x,
the second derivative is given by
y  f (x)  20x 3  36x 2 .

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Higher-Order Derivatives (continued):

Continuing in this manner, we have

f (x)  60x 2  72x, the third derivative of f

f (x)  120x  72, the fourth derivative of f
f (x)  120, the fifth derivative of f .

When notation like f  x  gets lengthy, we abbreviate

it using a symbol in parentheses. Thus f   x  is the
n

nth derivative.
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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Higher-Order Derivatives (continued):

For y  f (x)  x 5  3x 4  x, we have

f (3) (x)  60x 2  72x,

f (4 ) (x)  120x  72,
f (5) (x)  120,
f (6) (x)  0, and
f (n) (x)  0, for any integer n  6.

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Higher-Order Derivatives (continued):

Leibniz’s notation for the second derivative of a
function given by y = f(x) is

d2y d  dy 
2
, or  
dx dx dx
read “the second derivative of y with respect to x.”
The 2’s in this notation are NOT exponents.

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Higher-Order Derivatives (concluded):

If y  x 5  3x 4  x, then

dy d4y
 5x 4  12x 3  1, 4
 120x  72,
dx dx
d2y d5y
2
 20x 3
 36x 2
, 5
 120.
dx dx
d 3y
3
 60x  72x,
2

dx

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

1 d2y
Example 1: For y  , find 2
.
x dx

y  x 1
dy
 x 2
dx
d2y 3 2
2
 2x , or 3
dx x

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives
Example 2: For y  (x 2  10x)20 , find y and y .

By the Extended Chain Rule, y  20(x 2 10x)19 (2x  10).

Using the Product Rule and Extended Chain Rule,

y  20(x 2  10x)19  2  20(2x  10) 19(x 2  10x)18 (2x  10)
 40(x  10x)
2 18
(x  10x)  19(x  5)(2x  10)
2

 40(x 2  10x)18 x  10x  19(2x  20x  50)

2 2

 40(x 2  10x)18 x  10x  38x  380x  950)

2 2


y  40(x  10x)
2 18
39x  3900x  950 .
2

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

DEFINITION:

The velocity of an object that is s(t) units from a

starting point at time t is given by

s(t  h)  s(t)
Velocity  v(t)  s(t)  lim
h0 h

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

DEFINITION:

Acceleration  a(t)  v(t)  s(t).

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 1.8 Higher Order Derivatives

Example 4: For s(t) = 10t2 find v(t) and a(t), where s

is the distance from the starting point, in miles, and t is
in hours. Then, find the distance, velocity, and
acceleration when t = 4 hr.

v(t)  s (t)  20t

a(t)  v(t)  s (t)  20

s(4)  10(4)2  160 mi

v(4)  20(4)  80 mi/hr
a(4)  20 mi/hr 2
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