Spring 2025

MATH 007A: Calculus for Life Sciences I

Midterm 2
Solutions
Problem 1. Find the derivatives of the following functions. Do not simplify your answers.
2t + 3
(a) [5 pts] f (t) = .
5−t
2(5 − t) − (−1)(2t + 3) 10 − 2t + 2t + 3 13
Solution: the quotient rule gives f ′ (t) = 2
= 2
= .
(5 − t) (5 − t) (5 − t)2
 8
3 2
(b) [5 pts] g(x) = 3 x + 2 .
x
 8
3
Solution: first we rewrite g(x) = 3 x2 + 2 = 3(x2 + 3x−2 )8 .
x
Now using the chain and power rules, we find
g ′ (x) = 3(x2 + 3x−2 )8 )′ = 24(x2 + 3x−2 )7 · (x2 + 3x−2 )′ = 24(x2 + 3x−2 )7 (2x − 6x−3 ).
(c) [5 pts] ℓ(x) = cos(3x2 + 1) sin(x).
Solution: the product rule gives

ℓ′ (x) = (cos(3x2 + 1))′ sin(x) + cos(3x2 + 1) cos(x).

It remains to find cos(3x2 + 1))′ , for which we use the chain rule:

cos(3x2 + 1))′ = − sin(3x2 + 1) · 6x.

Answer: ℓ′ (x) = − sin(3x2 + 1) · 6x · sin(x) + cos(3x2 + 1) cos(x).

√
(d) [5 pts] g(x) = cos(arccos(x2 + 3 x)).
Solution: since cosine and arccosine are inverse functions, we have
√
g(x) = x2 + 3 x.

Now we compute the derivative, using the power rule:

√
′ 3
g ′ (x) = x2 + 3 x = 2x + √ .
2 x

Alternatively, we can apply the chain rule directly to the original expression:
√ √
g ′ (x) = (cos(arccos(u(x))))′ = − sin(arccos(x2 + 3 x)) · (arccos(x2 + 3 x))′ =
√ −1 √ ′
− sin(arccos(x2 + 3 x)) · p 2
√ 2 · (x + 3 x) =
2
1 − (x + 3 x)
√
 
−1 3
− sin(arccos(x2 + 3 x)) · p √ · 2x + √ .
1 − (x2 + 3 x)2 2 x
√
Remark. The latter expression simplifies using the identity sin(arccos(u)) = 1 − u2 , which cancels
3
the denominator and allows to recover 2x + 2√ x
. While both approaches are valid, the first one is
simpler.

1
 (e) [5 pts] s(x) = 5x x5 .
Solution: the product rule gives s′ (x) = ℓn(5) · 5x · x5 + 5x · 5x4 = ℓn(5) · 5x x5 + 5x+1 x4 .
Problem 2. Consider the function f (x) = cos(2x).

(a) [5 pts] Find the first derivative f ′ (x).

Solution. We compute
f ′ (x) = − sin(2x) · (2x)′ = −2 sin(2x).

(b) [5 pts] Find the second derivative f ′′ (x).

Solution. Differentiate again:

f ′′ (x) = (−2 sin(2x))′ = −2 cos(2x) · (2x)′ = −4 cos(2x).

(c) [5 pts] Find the third derivative f ′′′ (x).

Solution. Differentiate once more:

f ′′′ (x) = (−4 cos(2x))′ = 8 sin(2x).

(d) [5 pts] Find the fourth derivative f (4) (x).

Solution. Differentiate again:

f (4) (x) = (8 sin(x))′ = 16 cos(x).

(e)⋆ [3 pts] This is an extra-credit problem. A correct solution will allow you to compensate for missing
points elsewhere. Find f (2025) (x).
Solution. Since the derivatives almost repeat every 4 steps, we compute that the residue of 2025
divided by 4 is equal to 1, hence

f (2025) (x) = f ′ (x) = −22025 sin(x).

√
Problem 3. Consider two functions f (x) = sin(x) and g(x) = 5 − 2x.
(a) [5 pts] Give a formula for the composition (f ◦ g)(x).
√

Solution. (f ◦ g)(x) = f (g(x)) = sin 5 − 2x .
(b) [5 pts] Compute the derivative (f ◦ g)′ (x). Do not simplify your answer.
Solution. We use the chain rule to obtain
√ √
√
′ √
(sin 5 − 2x )′ = cos 5 − 2x · 5 − 2x = cos 5 − 2x · 0.5 · (5 − 2x)−0.5 · (5 − 2x)′ =



√ √
cos 5 − 2x · 0.5 · (5 − 2x)−0.5 · (−2) = − cos 5 − 2x · (5 − 2x)−0.5 .

(c) [5 pts] Give a formula for the composition (f ◦ f )(x).

Solution. (f ◦ f )(x) = f (f (x)) = sin(sin(x)).
(d) [5 pts] Compute the derivative (f ◦ f )′ (x). Do not simplify your answer.
Solution. We use the chain rule to obtain

(sin(sin(x)))′ = cos(sin(x)) · (sin(x))′ = cos(sin(x)) · cos(x).

Problem 4. Let C be the curve defined by the equation y 2 = x3 − 2x.

2
 (a) [5 pts] Determine which of the points P = (−1, 1), Q = (2, 5) and R = (1, 1) lie on the curve C.
Solution. We substitute each point into the equation y 2 = x3 − 2x to see whether the equality holds.

– For P = (−1, 1):

12 = 1, and (−1)3 − 2 · (−1) = −1 + 2 = 1✓
So P is on the curve.
– For Q = (2, 5):
52 = 25, but 23 − 2 · 2 = 4.
So Q is not on the curve.
– For R = (1, 1):
12 = 1, but 13 − 2 · 1 = 1 − 2 = −1. .
So R is not on the curve.

Conclusion: only the point P = (−1, 1) lies on the curve.

(b) [10 pts] Find the equation of the tangent line to the curve C at the point (−1, 1).
Solution. First, differentiate both sides of the equation y 2 = x3 − 2x implicitly with respect to x:

dy dy 3x2 − 2
2y = 3x2 − 2 ⇔ = .
dx dx 2y

At the point (−1, 1), we compute the slope:

3 · (−1)2 − 2 3−2 1
= = .
2·1 2 2
The tangent line at (−1, 1) has equation

1 1 3
y−1= (x + 1) ⇔ y = x + .
2 2 2
Problem 5. Pinocchio is talking a lot and occasionally lies. His nose is approximately shaped like a
cylinder, with the length given by the formula
√ t
ℓ(t) = 2 t − inches,
9
where t is the time in seconds since the start of the conversation.

(a) [5 pts] Find the length of Pinocchio’s nose nine seconds after the conversation started.

Solution. We plug in t = 9:
√ 9
ℓ(9) = 2 9 − = 6 − 1 = 5 inches.
9
(b) [5 pts] How fast was the length of the nose changing at that moment?

Solution. We compute the derivative:

′
√

′ t 1 1
ℓ (t) = 2 t − =√ − ,
9 t 9
so at t = 9,
1 1 2
ℓ′ (9) = − = in/sec.
3 9 9

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(c) [10 pts] Given that after nine seconds the radius of the nose was r = 1 inch and increasing at a rate
of r′ = 2 in/sec, use your answers from parts (a) and (b) to compute how fast the volume of the nose
was changing at that moment.
Do not evaluate the numerical answer; just give an expression without unknowns.
Hint: the volume of a cylinder at time t is given by V (t) = πr2 (t)ℓ(t).

Solution. Using the product rule:

V ′ (t) = (πr2 (t)ℓ(t))′ = 2πr(t)r′ (t)ℓ(t) + πr2 (t)ℓ′ (t).

Substituting r = 1, r′ = 2, ℓ(9) = 5, and ℓ′ (9) = 92 gives:

 
′ 2 2 2π 182π 3
V (9) = 2π · 1 · 2 · 5 + π · 1 = 20π + = in /sec.
9 9 9