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    • ▾Calculus 1
      • ▸Limits and continuity
        • •Intro to calc 1
        • •Estimating limits from graphs
        • •Estimating limits from tables
        • •Intro to continuity
        • •Finding and classifying discontinuities
        • •Finding the value that makes the function continuous
      • ▸Derivatives: definition and basic derivative rules
        • •Proving differentiable implies continuous
        • •Derivative of a function from first principles
        • •Finding the tangent or normal line through the given point
        • •Constant rule
        • •Constant multiple rule for derivatives
        • •Sum, difference, and power rules for derivatives
        • •Product rule
        • •Proving the product rule
        • •Quotient rule
        • •Derivatives of trig functions
        • •Proving properties of even and odd functions (calculus 1)
        • •Leibniz's derivative notation
        • •Logarithmic functions
      • ▾Derivatives: composite, implicit, and inverse functions
        • •Derivative at a point from first principles
        • •Derivatives of exponential functions
        • •Derivatives of logarithmic functions
        • ▸Derivatives of hyperbolic and inverse hyperbolic functions
          • •Using the derivatives of the hyperbolic functions
          • •Proving the derivatives of the hyperbolic functions
          • •Proving the derivatives of the inverse hyperbolic functions
        • •Derivatives of inverse trig functions
        • •Derivatives of transcendental functions
        • •Derivatives of trigonometric functions under transformations
        • •Derivative using u-substitution
        • •Determining derivatives from graphs
        • •Higher order derivatives
        • •Chain rule
        • •Derivatives of inverse functions
        • •Choosing the derivative rules to use
      • ▸Applying derivatives to analyze functions
        • •Applications of trigonometric derivatives
        • •Extreme value theorem
        • •First derivative test
        • •Mean value theorem
        • ▸Monotonic intervals and functions
          • •Intro
          • •Proofs
        • •Related rates
        • •Second derivative test
        • •Concavity
        • •Factoring a cubic polynomial with a double root
        • •Graphing using derivatives
        • ▸Special points
          • ▸Finding critical values from graphs
            • •Lesson
            • •Practice
          • •Finding critical values using derivatives
          • ▸Inflection points
            • •Graphically finding points of inflection
            • •Using the second derivative to find points of inflection
          • •Classifying stationary points
          • •Sketching polynomials using stationary points
        • •Bisection method
        • •Newton's method
        • •False position method
        • •L'Hopital's rule
      • ▸Integrals
        • •Basic integration problems
        • ▸Integration by u-substitution
          • ▸Integration by u-substitution (less difficult)
            • •Lesson
            • •Practice
          • •Integration by u-substitution (more difficult)
          • •Integrating exponential functions by u-substitution
        • •Visually determining antiderivative
      • ▸Applications of integrals
        • •Proving the formula for the area of a circle
        • •Area between two curves
        • ▸Solids of revolution
          • •Disc and washer methods (circular cross sections)
          • •Volumes of solids with known cross sections
          • •Shell method
          • •Volume of a sphere (calculus \(2\))
          • •Volume of a cone (calculus 2)
     › Calculus 1 › Derivatives: composite, implicit, and inverse functions

    Derivatives of exponential functions

    In this section, you'll learn how to take the derivative of a function that's some constant base raised to a power involving a variable.

    1. Intro
    2. Other resources
    3. Proof
    4. Using the theorem

    Conclude by giving your students these challenges:

    • Wallpaper Sudoku by NRICH
    • Gutter by NRICH
    • In Constantly Passing by NRICH

    A Curious Surface Area by MAA: Give students the problem and allow them to find their own method of solution. Afterwards, show students how they could solve the problem mentally. That is, the front and back faces each add to 1/2, so together, that's 1. Each side face is equivalent to a side of the original cube, so they're each 1, and together, they're 2, so now we're at 3. There are 4 top faces, so there must also be 4 bottom faces, together, that's 8. Adding this to our previous total of 3, we get 11. This problem is easy to solve mentally because you're always keeping a whole number in your head while deducing the next addend.