Skip to content
Miscellaneous Exercise · Q2

Q.Differentiate the function sin⁡3x+cos⁡6x\sin^3 x + \cos^6 x with respect to xx.

Telangana TsbieTextbookSubjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
57% · 160/281 Questions
✓ Free question

We differentiate sin⁡3x+cos⁡6x\sin^3 x + \cos^6 x term-by-term using the chain rule. The derivative is 3sin⁡2xcos⁡x−6cos⁡5xsin⁡x3\sin^2 x \cos x - 6\cos^5 x \sin x.

The key idea here is that each term is a function of a function — a power of a trigonometric function. You cannot just differentiate sin⁡3x\sin^3 x as if it were u3u^3 with u=sin⁡xu = \sin x without also multiplying by the derivative of sin⁡x\sin x. That’s the chain rule in action.

Let’s break it down.


  1. Differentiate sin⁡3x\sin^3 x Write sin⁡3x=(sin⁡x)3\sin^3 x = (\sin x)^3. The outer function is u3u^3, the inner function is u=sin⁡xu = \sin x. By the chain rule:

ddx(sin⁡3x)=3(sin⁡x)2⋅ddx(sin⁡x)=3sin⁡2x⋅cos⁡x.\frac{d}{dx}(\sin^3 x) = 3(\sin x)^2 \cdot \frac{d}{dx}(\sin x) = 3\sin^2 x \cdot \cos x.

  1. Differentiate cos⁡6x\cos^6 x Write cos⁡6x=(cos⁡x)6\cos^6 x = (\cos x)^6. Outer: v6v^6, inner: v=cos⁡xv = \cos x. Chain rule gives:

ddx(cos⁡6x)=6(cos⁡x)5⋅ddx(cos⁡x)=6cos⁡5x⋅(−sin⁡x)=−6cos⁡5xsin⁡x.\frac{d}{dx}(\cos^6 x) = 6(\cos x)^5 \cdot \frac{d}{dx}(\cos x) = 6\cos^5 x \cdot (-\sin x) = -6\cos^5 x \sin x.

  1. Add the results The derivative of the sum is the sum of the derivatives:

ddx(sin⁡3x+cos⁡6x)=3sin⁡2xcos⁡x−6cos⁡5xsin⁡x.\frac{d}{dx}\left( \sin^3 x + \cos^6 x \right) = 3\sin^2 x \cos x - 6\cos^5 x \sin x.

Watch out

A common mistake is to forget the minus sign from the derivative of cos⁡x\cos x, or to write ddx(cos⁡6x)=6cos⁡5x\frac{d}{dx}(\cos^6 x) = 6\cos^5 x without multiplying by (−sin⁡x)(-\sin x). Always check: the chain rule demands the derivative of the inner function.

Tip

If you ever feel unsure, rewrite powers explicitly: (sin⁡x)3(\sin x)^3 and (cos⁡x)6(\cos x)^6. Then apply the chain rule step by step — outer derivative times inner derivative. This habit prevents sign errors.


✓Final answer

The derivative is 3sin⁡2xcos⁡x−6cos⁡5xsin⁡x3\sin^2 x \cos x - 6\cos^5 x \sin x.

Unlock everything free for 14 days

  • Full step-by-step solutions
  • Concept-first explanations
  • Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
  • PYQ mapping + timed mock tests

Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.