Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Implicit Differentiation
Implicit differentiation is a technique used to find the derivative of a function when it is not explicitly solved for one variable in terms of another. It involves differentiating both sides of an equation with respect to a variable, often x, while treating other variables as implicit functions of x. This method is essential when dealing with equations where y is not isolated.
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First Derivative (dy/dx)
The first derivative, dy/dx, represents the rate of change of y with respect to x. It is found by applying implicit differentiation to the given equation. In this context, it involves differentiating each term of the equation with respect to x and solving for dy/dx, which provides the slope of the tangent line to the curve at any point (x, y).
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Second Derivative (d²y/dx²)
The second derivative, d²y/dx², measures the rate of change of the first derivative, providing information about the concavity of the function. To find it, differentiate the expression for dy/dx implicitly with respect to x again. This step requires applying the chain rule and product rule, and the result helps determine the behavior of the function, such as identifying points of inflection.
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