Q.If y=xsinx (x>0), find dxdy.
Concept understanding — Logarithmic Differentiation
Logarithmic differentiation is a technique for differentiating functions that are awkward to handle directly — long products, quotients, and powers, and especially functions of the form y=[f(x)]g(x) where both the base and the exponent involve x (so neither the power rule nor the exponential rule alone applies). The method: take the natural logarithm of both sides first, so logy=g(x)⋅log[f(x)]; this converts products into sums, quotients into differences, and powers into multiples, via the laws of logarithms, which are far easier to differentiate term by term. Differentiating implicitly with respect to x then gives y1dxdy on the left, so dxdy=y× (derivative of the right side), with y substituted back as the original expression. When a sum of several such power-tower terms appears (e.g. y=xa+xx+ax), split the expression into separate pieces, apply logarithmic differentiation only to the pieces that need it (those with a variable in both base and exponent), differentiate the ordinary terms normally, and add the results.
Variable base AND variable exponent -- take ln of both sides first.
dxdy=xsinx[cosxlnx+xsinx]
Taking ln of y=xsinx: lny=sinx⋅lnx. Differentiating implicitly (product rule on the right):
y1dxdy=cosx⋅lnx+sinx⋅x1.
Multiplying back by y=xsinx:
dxdy=xsinx[cosxlnx+xsinx],x>0.
dxdy=xsinx[cosxlnx+xsinx]
Take ln of both sides to bring sinx down as a coefficient of lnx; differentiate implicitly using the product rule (since both sinx and lnx depend on x); multiply back by the original y.
Forgetting the product rule and differentiating sinxlnx as if only one factor varied; forgetting to multiply the final bracket back by y=xsinx.
- CBSE 2026Set A1 markMCQQ.If y=xx then dxdy=(a) xx(logx+1)(b) logx(c) (logx+1)(d) nxn−1
›Reveal solutionSolution
dxdy=xx(logx+1).
Take logs of y=xx:
logy=xlogx.
Differentiate implicitly:
y1dxdy=logx+x⋅x1=logx+1.
So
dxdy=y(logx+1)=xx(logx+1).
✓Final answer(a) xx(logx+1).
- CBSE 2026Set SEM31 markMCQQ.If xmyn=(x+y)m+n, then the value of dxdy is(a) 0(b) xy(c) xyx+y(d) xy
›Reveal solutionSolution
Use logarithmic differentiation on xmyn=(x+y)m+n; the cross terms cancel and dxdy=xy.
Logarithmic differentiation of an implicit relation is a standard NCERT/CBSE Class 12 continuity and differentiability method.
Take natural logs of both sides:
mlnx+nlny=(m+n)ln(x+y).
Differentiate with respect to x:
xm+yndxdy=(m+n)⋅x+y1+dxdy.
Multiply out and collect. Writing y′=dxdy:
xm+yny′=x+y(m+n)+x+y(m+n)y′.
The algebra simplifies (the m and n terms recombine) to the well-known result
dxdy=xy.
✓Final answerdxdy=xy — option (b).
- CBSE 2025Set ANNUAL1 markMCQQ.The derivative of x^(2x) with respect to x is ......................(a) x^(2x−1)(b) 2x^(2x) log x(c) 2x^(2x)(1 + log x)(d) 2x^(2x)(1 − 2 log x)
›Reveal solutionSolution
When the variable appears in both the base and the exponent, take logarithms first (logarithmic differentiation), then differentiate implicitly.
Given: y=x2x
Step 1 — take log of both sides:
lny=2xlnx
Step 2 — differentiate both sides w.r.t. x (product rule on the right):
y1dxdy=2lnx+2x⋅x1=2lnx+2
Step 3 — solve for dy/dx:
dxdy=y(2lnx+2)=x2x⋅2(lnx+1)=2x2x(1+logx)
✓Final answerdxd(x2x)=2x2x(1+logx) (Option c).
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