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Updated Mar 17, 2026

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2 pages

Easy AQA Further Maths GCSE: Differentiation Fun & Practice with Past Papers

Jenni

@jennii007

AQA Further Maths GCSE Differentiationis a crucial topic for... Show more

$Differentiation $y=x^n$ $\frac{dy}{da}=nx^{n-1}$ You CANT do $\frac{dy}{dx}$ when... →x is in brackets →x is in denominator →x is in ro$

Advanced Differentiation Techniques and Applications

This section delves deeper into Differentiation Further Maths GCSE concepts, providing more complex examples and applications.

Highlight: Differentiation of a constant is always zero. d/dx(constant) = 0

Let's explore a comprehensive example that demonstrates various aspects of differentiation:

a) For f(x) = 4x^2 - 8x + 3, find the gradient when x = 3

First, we find the gradient function: f'(x) = 8x - 8

Then, we substitute x = 3: f'(3) = 8(3) - 8 = 24 - 8 = 16

Example: The gradient at x = 3 is 16

b) Find the coordinates of the point on the graph of y = f(x) where the gradient is 8

We set the gradient function equal to 8: 8x - 8 = 8 Solving this, we get x = 2

To find y, we substitute x = 2 into the original function: f(2) = 4(2)^2 - 8(2) + 3 = 16 - 16 + 3 = 3

Example: The coordinates are (2, 3)

c) Find the gradient of y = f(x) at the points where the curve meets the line y = 4x - 5

We set the original function equal to the line equation: 4x^2 - 8x + 3 = 4x - 5

Solving this quadratic equation, we get x = 1 or x = 2

Now, we can find the gradients at these points using the gradient function: At x = 1: f'(1) = 8(1) - 8 = 0 At x = 2: f'(2) = 8(2) - 8 = 8

These examples demonstrate how to apply differentiation in various scenarios, which is crucial for AQA Further Maths GCSE past papers and Further Maths GCSE practice papers.

$Differentiation $y=x^n$ $\frac{dy}{da}=nx^{n-1}$ You CANT do $\frac{dy}{dx}$ when... →x is in brackets →x is in denominator →x is in ro$

Differentiation Basics and Rules

Differentiation is a fundamental concept in AQA GCSE Further Maths. It involves finding the gradient function of a curve, which is crucial for various mathematical applications.

The gradient function of a curve y=f(x) is written as f'(x) or dy/dx. This function allows us to find the gradient of the curve for any value of x.

Highlight: You cannot directly differentiate when x is in brackets, in the denominator, or in root form.

For the basic form y=x^n, the differentiation rule is:

dy/dx = nx^ $n-1$

Example: For f(x) = x^3, the gradient function f'(x) = 3x^2

An alternative method for finding the gradient function involves using the limit definition:

f'(x) = lim[h→0] $f(x+h) - f(x)$ / h

Example: For f(x) = 3x^2, we can find f'(x) by calculating: f'(x) = lim[h→0] $3(x+h)^2 - 3x^2$ / h After simplification, we get f'(x) = 6x

This page provides essential information for AQA Further Maths GCSE Differentiation questions and is crucial for AQA Further Maths GCSE revision.

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Updated Mar 17, 2026

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2 pages

Easy AQA Further Maths GCSE: Differentiation Fun & Practice with Past Papers

Jenni

@jennii007

AQA Further Maths GCSE Differentiation is a crucial topic for students preparing for their exams. This summary covers key concepts, formulas, and examples to help with AQA Further Maths GCSE revision.

Differentiation is the process of finding the gradient... Show more

$Differentiation $y=x^n$ $\frac{dy}{da}=nx^{n-1}$ You CANT do $\frac{dy}{dx}$ when... →x is in brackets →x is in denominator →x is in ro$

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

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Improve your grades

Join milions of students

Advanced Differentiation Techniques and Applications

This section delves deeper into Differentiation Further Maths GCSE concepts, providing more complex examples and applications.

Highlight: Differentiation of a constant is always zero. d/dx(constant) = 0

Let's explore a comprehensive example that demonstrates various aspects of differentiation:

a) For f(x) = 4x^2 - 8x + 3, find the gradient when x = 3

First, we find the gradient function: f'(x) = 8x - 8

Then, we substitute x = 3: f'(3) = 8(3) - 8 = 24 - 8 = 16

Example: The gradient at x = 3 is 16

b) Find the coordinates of the point on the graph of y = f(x) where the gradient is 8

We set the gradient function equal to 8: 8x - 8 = 8 Solving this, we get x = 2

To find y, we substitute x = 2 into the original function: f(2) = 4(2)^2 - 8(2) + 3 = 16 - 16 + 3 = 3

Example: The coordinates are (2, 3)

c) Find the gradient of y = f(x) at the points where the curve meets the line y = 4x - 5

We set the original function equal to the line equation: 4x^2 - 8x + 3 = 4x - 5

Solving this quadratic equation, we get x = 1 or x = 2

Now, we can find the gradients at these points using the gradient function: At x = 1: f'(1) = 8(1) - 8 = 0 At x = 2: f'(2) = 8(2) - 8 = 8

These examples demonstrate how to apply differentiation in various scenarios, which is crucial for AQA Further Maths GCSE past papers and Further Maths GCSE practice papers.

$Differentiation $y=x^n$ $\frac{dy}{da}=nx^{n-1}$ You CANT do $\frac{dy}{dx}$ when... →x is in brackets →x is in denominator →x is in ro$

Sign up to see the contentIt's free!

Access to all documents

Improve your grades

Join milions of students

Differentiation Basics and Rules

Differentiation is a fundamental concept in AQA GCSE Further Maths. It involves finding the gradient function of a curve, which is crucial for various mathematical applications.

The gradient function of a curve y=f(x) is written as f'(x) or dy/dx. This function allows us to find the gradient of the curve for any value of x.

Highlight: You cannot directly differentiate when x is in brackets, in the denominator, or in root form.

For the basic form y=x^n, the differentiation rule is:

dy/dx = nx^ $n-1$

Example: For f(x) = x^3, the gradient function f'(x) = 3x^2

An alternative method for finding the gradient function involves using the limit definition:

f'(x) = lim[h→0] $f(x+h) - f(x)$ / h

Example: For f(x) = 3x^2, we can find f'(x) by calculating: f'(x) = lim[h→0] $3(x+h)^2 - 3x^2$ / h After simplification, we get f'(x) = 6x

This page provides essential information for AQA Further Maths GCSE Differentiation questions and is crucial for AQA Further Maths GCSE revision.