DERIVATIVESDERIVATIVES

3

Before starting this section,

you might need to review the

trigonometric functions.

DERIVATIVES

In particular, it is important to remember that,

when we talk about the function f defined for

all real numbers x by f(x) = sin x, it is

understood that sin x means the sine of

the angle whose radian measure is x.

DERIVATIVES

A similar convention holds for

the other trigonometric functions

cos, tan, csc, sec, and cot.

Recall from Section 2.5 that all the trigonometric functions are continuous at every number in their domains.

DERIVATIVES

DERIVATIVES

3.4Derivatives of

Trigonometric Functions

In this section, we will learn about:

Derivatives of trigonometric functions

and their applications.

Let’s sketch the graph of the function

f(x) = sin x and use the interpretation of f’(x)

as the slope of the tangent to the sine curve

in order to sketch the graph of f’.

DERIVATIVES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

Then, it looks as if the graph of f’ may

be the same as the cosine curve.

DERIVATIVES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

Let’s try to confirm

our guess that, if f(x) = sin x,

then f’(x) = cos x.

DERIVATIVES OF TRIGONOMETRIC FUNCTIONS

From the definition of a derivative, we have:

0 0

0

0

0

0 0 0

( ) ( ) sin( ) sin'( ) lim lim

sin cos cos sin h sinlim

sin cos sin cos sinlim

cos 1 sinlim sin cos

cos 1limsin lim lim cos lim

h h

h

h

h

h h h h

f x h f x x h xf x

h hx h x x

hx h x x h

h h

h hx x

h h

hx x

h

0

sin h

h

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS Equation 1

Two of these four limits are easy to

evaluate.

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

0 0 0 0

cos 1 sinlimsin lim lim cos limh h h h

h hx x

h h

Since we regard x as a constant

when computing a limit as h → 0,

we have:

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

limh 0

sin x sin x

limh 0

cos x cos x

We can deduce the value of the remaining

limit in Equation 1 as follows.

0

0

2

0

cos 1lim

cos 1 cos 1lim

cos 1

cos 1lim

(cos 1)

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

2

0

0

0 0

0

sinlim

(cos 1)

sin sinlim

cos 1

sin sin 0lim lim 1 0

cos 1 1 1

cos 1lim 0

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS Equation 3

If we put the limits (2) and (3) in (1),

we get:

0 0 0 0

cos 1 sin'( ) limsin lim lim cos lim

(sin ) 0 (cos ) 1

cos

h h h h

h hf x x x

h hx x

x

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

So, we have proved the formula for

the derivative of the sine function:

(sin ) cosd

x xdx

DERIV. OF SINE FUNCTION Formula 4

Differentiate y = x2 sin x.

Using the Product Rule and Formula 4, we have:

2 2

2

(sin ) sin ( )

cos 2 sin

dy d dx x x x

dx dx dx

x x x x

Example 1DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

Using the same methods as in

the proof of Formula 4, we can prove:

(cos ) sind

x xdx

Formula 5DERIV. OF COSINE FUNCTION

The tangent function can also be

differentiated by using the definition

of a derivative.

However, it is easier to use the Quotient Rule

together with Formulas 4 and 5—as follows.

DERIV. OF TANGENT FUNCTION

2

2

2 22

2 2

2

sin(tan )

cos

cos (sin ) sin (cos )

coscos cos sin ( sin )

cos

cos sin 1sec

cos cos

(tan ) sec

d d xx

dx dx x

d dx x x x

dx dxx

x x x x

x

x xx

x xd

x xdx

DERIV. OF TANGENT FUNCTION Formula 6

The derivatives of the remaining

trigonometric functions—csc, sec, and cot—

can also be found easily using the Quotient

Rule.

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

We have collected all the differentiation

formulas for trigonometric functions here. Remember, they are valid only when x is measured

in radians.

2 2

(sin ) cos (csc ) csc cot

(cos ) sin (sec ) sec tan

(tan ) sec (cot ) csc

d dx x x x x

dx dxd d

x x x x xdx dxd d

x x x xdx dx

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

Differentiate

For what values of x does the graph of f

have a horizontal tangent?

sec( )

1 tan

xf x

x

Example 2DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

The Quotient Rule gives:

2

2

2

2 2

2

2

(1 tan ) (sec ) sec (1 tan )'( )

(1 tan )

(1 tan )sec tan sec sec

(1 tan )

sec (tan tan sec )

(1 tan )

sec (tan 1)

(1 tan )

d dx x x x

dx dxf xx

x x x x x

x

x x x x

x

x x

x

Example 2DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

In simplifying the answer,

we have used the identity

tan2 x + 1 = sec2 x.

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS Example 2

Since sec x is never 0, we see that f’(x)

when tan x = 1. This occurs when x = nπ + π/4,

where n is an integer.

Example 2DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

Trigonometric functions are often used

in modeling real-world phenomena.

In particular, vibrations, waves, elastic motions, and other quantities that vary in a periodic manner can be described using trigonometric functions.

In the following example, we discuss an instance of simple harmonic motion.

APPLICATIONS

An object at the end of a vertical spring

is stretched 4 cm beyond its rest position

and released at time t = 0. In the figure, note that the downward

direction is positive. Its position at time t is

s = f(t) = 4 cos t Find the velocity and acceleration

at time t and use them to analyze the motion of the object.

Example 3APPLICATIONS

The velocity and acceleration are:

(4cos ) 4 (cos ) 4sin

( 4sin ) 4 (sin ) 4cos

ds d dv t t t

dt dt dt

dv d da t t t

dt dt dt

Example 3APPLICATIONS

The object oscillates from the lowest point

(s = 4 cm) to the highest point (s = -4 cm).

The period of the oscillation

is 2π, the period of cos t.

Example 3APPLICATIONS

The speed is |v| = 4|sin t|, which is greatest

when |sin t| = 1, that is, when cos t = 0.

So, the object moves fastest as it passes through its equilibrium position (s = 0).

Its speed is 0 when sin t = 0, that is, at the high and low points.

Example 3APPLICATIONS

The acceleration a = -4 cos t = 0 when s = 0.

It has greatest magnitude at the high and

low points.

Example 3APPLICATIONS

Find the 27th derivative of cos x.

The first few derivatives of f(x) = cos x are as follows:

(4)

(5)

'( ) sin

''( ) cos

'''( ) sin

( ) cos

( ) sin

f x x

f x x

f x x

f x x

f x x

Example 4DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

We see that the successive derivatives occur in a cycle of length 4 and, in particular, f (n)(x) = cos x whenever n is a multiple of 4.

Therefore, f (24)(x) = cos x

Differentiating three more times, we have:

f (27)(x) = sin x

Example 4DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

Our main use for the limit in Equation 2

has been to prove the differentiation formula

for the sine function.

However, this limit is also useful in finding certain other trigonometric limits—as the following two examples show.

DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

Find

In order to apply Equation 2, we first rewrite the function by multiplying and dividing by 7:

0

sin 7lim

4x

x

x

sin 7 7 sin 7

4 4 7

x x

x x

Example 5DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

If we let θ = 7x, then θ → 0 as x → 0.

So, by Equation 2, we have:

0 0

0

sin 7 7 sin 7lim lim

4 4 7

7 sinlim

4

7 71

4 4

x x

x x

x x

Example 5DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

Calculate .

We divide the numerator and denominator by x:

by the continuity of cosine and Eqn. 2

0lim cotx

x x

Example 6DERIVS. OF TRIG. FUNCTIONS

0 0 0

0

0

cos coslim cot lim lim

sinsin

lim cos cos0sin 1lim

1

x x x

x

x

x x xx x

xxx

x

x

x