Don't you know how to Google?Originally posted by dbowie:I keep hearing of dy/dx but have no idea what it is .. can someone enlighten me ? P.S please use simple languages as I am a maths retard
Originally posted by ^tamago^:I am in sec3 taking A Maths ..why do you have to find out the instantaneous gradient ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_calculus
In calculus, a branch of mathematics, the [b]derivative is a measurement of how a function changes when the values of its inputs change, much like the instantaneous gradient of a function at a given point.
This topic is only taught from Secondary 3 onwards (in Additional Mathematics) or 'AO' Mathematics in JC (for those who did not take Add. Maths in Sec Sch).[/b]
u noe how to find the gradient for a slope?Originally posted by dbowie:I am in sec3 taking A Maths ..why do you have to find out the instantaneous gradient ?![]()
Oh.. thanks for the "enlightenment"..Originally posted by hiphop2009:u noe how to find the gradient for a slope?
in emaths term, we simply (y2-y1)/(x2-x1)
but in amaths, we can use dy/dx to solve the same problem and get the same answer.
Just started your chapter on differentiation?Originally posted by dbowie:I am in sec3 taking A Maths ..why do you have to find out the instantaneous gradient ?![]()
Since dy/dx is defined by 2x, for x > 0, then 2x > 0 then dy/dx > 0.Originally posted by dbowie:Oh.. thanks for the "enlightenment"..
I got a qns from my t/b
y=x^2-1 for x>0.
Show dy/dx is always +ve.
Soln_
y=x^2-1
dy/dx = 2x
For x>0 , dy/dx>0 and this shows that dy/dx is positive.
Can someone tell me how the t/b reaches the soln ?
hmm I know about this concpt, .. its just that i dont know how do they get the dx value.Originally posted by ^tamago^:Since dy/dx is defined by 2x, for x > 0, then 2x > 0 then dy/dx > 0.
dun treat "dy/dx" as a fraction at this point ("dy/dx" is "dy divided by dx" here), except when u're involving something other than x and y.Originally posted by dbowie:hmm I know about this concpt, .. its just that i dont know how do they get the dx value.
there's nothing to 'solve', it simply requires u to show/prove that dy/dx is positive.Originally posted by dbowie:p.s can someone tell me how to solve my above qns in my previous post ?
what i meant is ..Originally posted by ^tamago^:there's nothing to 'solve', it simply requires u to show/prove that dy/dx is positive.![]()

Originally posted by Gackt247:AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... MAAATHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsssssssssssss...
"dy/dx" means the deriative of y with respect to x. it is a way of expressing this. it's not "dy divided by dx".Originally posted by dbowie:@tammy jie :
you meant, to treat dy/dx as derivative y divided by derivative x , not as a fraction ? ok.. and when you meant other than x&y what do you imply ?
i still don't know how to figure out the value for dx.
dy/dx is like a function. it is not "dy" divided by "dx". "dx" on its own is not meaningful.Originally posted by dbowie:what i meant is ..
dy/dx = 2x, correct ?
y= x^2-1
so how do they get the results if they don't know value of dx ?