Differentiation, one idea at a timeMathematics Methods, Unit 3 & 4

Method, practice, and harder questions

Second Derivatives & Curve Sketching

Differentiate once for \(f'(x)\), then differentiate the result again for \(f”(x)\), using the same rules you already know. The meaning is in the interpretation: concavity, points of inflection, classifying stationary points, and sketching curves. The idea is explained on the previous page.

Next up: rates and optimisationUsing first and second derivatives on real problems: kinematics, rates of change, and maximising or minimising quantities.

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