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Exercise 5.2 · Q2

Q.Find dydx\frac{dy}{dx} in the following: cos⁡(sin⁡x)\cos (\sin x)

Telangana TsbieTextbookSubjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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✓ Free question

This problem is a direct application of the Chain Rule: differentiate the outer function (cosine) first, then multiply by the derivative of the inner function (sine). The result is dydx=−sin⁡(sin⁡x)⋅cos⁡x\frac{dy}{dx} = -\sin(\sin x) \cdot \cos x.

We have y=cos⁡(sin⁡x)y = \cos(\sin x). The function is a composition: the outer function is cos⁡(⋅)\cos(\cdot), and the inner function is sin⁡x\sin x. Whenever you see a function "wrapped" inside another, the Chain Rule is your tool.

The Chain Rule says: if y=f(g(x))y = f(g(x)), then dydx=f′(g(x))⋅g′(x)\frac{dy}{dx} = f'(g(x)) \cdot g'(x). In words: differentiate the outer function, leaving the inner function untouched, then multiply by the derivative of the inner function.

Let's apply it step by step.

  1. Identify the outer and inner functions.

    Outer: f(u)=cos⁡uf(u) = \cos u, where u=sin⁡xu = \sin x.

    Inner: g(x)=sin⁡xg(x) = \sin x.

  2. Differentiate the outer function with respect to its argument.

    The derivative of cos⁡u\cos u is −sin⁡u-\sin u. So f′(u)=−sin⁡uf'(u) = -\sin u.

    Keep the inner function u=sin⁡xu = \sin x inside: f′(g(x))=−sin⁡(sin⁡x)f'(g(x)) = -\sin(\sin x).

  3. Differentiate the inner function.

    The derivative of sin⁡x\sin x is cos⁡x\cos x. So g′(x)=cos⁡xg'(x) = \cos x.

  4. Multiply the two derivatives.

    By the Chain Rule:

dydx=f′(g(x))⋅g′(x)=−sin⁡(sin⁡x)⋅cos⁡x.\frac{dy}{dx} = f'(g(x)) \cdot g'(x) = -\sin(\sin x) \cdot \cos x.

That's the complete derivative.

Tip

A common shortcut: think of the Chain Rule as "derivative of the outside, times derivative of the inside." For cos⁡(something)\cos(\text{something}), the derivative is always −sin⁡(something)⋅(derivative of something)-\sin(\text{something}) \cdot (\text{derivative of something}). Here, "something" is sin⁡x\sin x, so we get −sin⁡(sin⁡x)⋅cos⁡x-\sin(\sin x) \cdot \cos x.

Watch out

A frequent mistake is to write −sin⁡(cos⁡x)-\sin(\cos x) instead of −sin⁡(sin⁡x)-\sin(\sin x). Remember: the outer derivative keeps the inner function exactly as it is — do not differentiate the inside again at this step. The sin⁡\sin inside the sin⁡\sin is just the original sin⁡x\sin x, not cos⁡x\cos x.

✓Final answer

The derivative is −sin⁡(sin⁡x)⋅cos⁡x\boxed{-\sin(\sin x) \cdot \cos x}.

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