Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Implicit Differentiation
Implicit differentiation is a technique used to differentiate equations where the dependent and independent variables are not explicitly separated. In this case, the equation 2x² + y² = 4 involves both x and y, making it necessary to differentiate both sides with respect to x while treating y as a function of x. This allows us to find the first derivative dy/dx before proceeding to the second derivative.
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First Derivative
The first derivative, denoted as dy/dx, represents the rate of change of the dependent variable y with respect to the independent variable x. It provides information about the slope of the tangent line to the curve defined by the equation at any given point. To find the second derivative, we first need to compute the first derivative using implicit differentiation.
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Second Derivative
The second derivative, denoted as d²y/dx², measures the rate of change of the first derivative. It provides insights into the curvature of the function, indicating whether the function is concave up or concave down at a given point. To find d²y/dx², we differentiate the first derivative again, applying implicit differentiation as necessary to account for the relationship between x and y.
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