Name: using derivatives to read a graph
Uploaded: 2026-01-12T12:24:56.000Z
Duration: 1 min 22 s
Channel: JoVE

Consider a function; its first and second derivatives are used to sketch its curve.The first derivative is zero when x equals four, and undefined when x equals zero or x equals six. These critical points define the intervals for analysis.The sign of the first derivative determines if the curve is increasing or decreasing.A sign change from negative to positive at x equals zero gives a local minimum.A change from positive to negative at x equals four gives a local maximum. If the sign does not change at x equals six, no extremum exists there.The second derivative is negative on the intervals from negative infinity to 0 and from 0 to 6, which shows that the plot is concave downward on these intervals.But the second derivative is positive on the interval x greater than six, which gives the concave upward plot on this interval.For example, consider a profit function. The first derivative tracks the profit's rise or fall and identifies its extreme values.The second derivative shows how the rate of profit changes, which helps sketch the function.

curve sketching and derivatives

Curve Sketching and Derivatives

Understanding the behavior of a function through its first and second derivatives is essential for analyzing its graph. Derivatives provide insight into where a function increases or decreases, where it attains local maxima or minima, and how its curvature behaves across different intervals.The first derivative of a function reveals the slope of the tangent line at any given point. Points where the derivative is zero or undefined are considered critical, as they often indicate potential extrema or changes in behavior. A local minimum occurs where the first derivative changes from negative to positive, while a local maximum is found where it changes from positive to negative. If the derivative does not change sign at a critical point, no extremum is present.The second derivative offers information about the concavity of the function. When the second derivative is negative, the graph is concave downward, indicating that the slope of the first derivative is decreasing. This results in a curve that bends downward. Conversely, a positive second derivative implies the function is concave upward, with the slope of the first derivative increasing and the curve bending upward. Changes in concavity suggest the presence of inflection points, where the nature of the curve shifts from one type of concavity to another.By examining the signs and behaviors of the first and second derivatives over different intervals, it is possible to construct an accurate sketch of the function. This combined approach helps identify regions of increase or decrease, locate local maxima and minima, and determine the overall shape of the function&#8217;s graph.<h3>Applications</h3>For example, consider a profit model represented by a quadratic function:<figure class="image image-style-align-center" style="display:table;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;"><img style="aspect-ratio:300/24;" src="https://cloudfront.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/19832/19832_Resized_PT_Equation_1_editor_19832.svg" alt="Polynomial equation, P(x)=-2x&#178;+12x-10, formula, quadratic function, mathematical analysis." data-altupdatedat="1775534432000" data-alt="19832_Resized_PT_Equation_1.svg" /></figure>The graph represents a profit curve, where x denotes advertising spend in thousands of USD, and P(x) represents profit also in thousands of USD. The curve forms an inverted U shape, resembling a hill. In mathematical terms, this shape is described as concave downward.At low advertising levels, increasing spending boosts sales and profit efficiently. However, as spending continues to rise, the additional profit generated by each new unit of advertising begins to decline. This reflects diminishing returns. If spending becomes too high, profit eventually decreases because the cost of the extra advertising exceeds the revenue it generates.The slope of the curve is captured by the first derivative, and the maximum profit occurs at the point where this slope becomes zero. At this spending level, the curve reaches its highest value.The second derivative of the function is a constant negative number. A negative second derivative indicates that the entire curve is concave downward, confirming that the profit function bends downward at every point.

Understanding the behavior of a function through its first and second derivatives is essential for analyzing its graph. Derivatives provide insight into ...

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JoVE Core

Calculus

Unit

Applications of Differentiation

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

using derivatives to read a graph

Derivatives help students read the graph of a function by showing where the graph rises, falls, and bends. The first derivative tells the slope of the tangent line at each point. The second derivative shows how the curve changes shape over an interval.

Points where the first derivative is zero or undefined are critical points. These points are important because they may mark a local maximum, a local minimum, or no extremum at all. A local minimum appears when the first derivative changes from negative to positive. A local maximum appears when it changes from positive to negative.

If the first derivative does not change sign at a critical point, then the function does not have an extremum there. The second derivative adds information about concavity, which describes whether the graph bends upward or downward. A negative second derivative means the graph is concave downward. A positive second derivative means the graph is concave upward.

When the second derivative is negative, the slope of the first derivative is decreasing, so the curve bends downward. When the second derivative is positive, the slope of the first derivative is increasing, so the curve bends upward. A change in concavity can signal an inflection point, where the graph switches from one type of bending to the other.

By checking the signs of the first and second derivatives on different intervals, students can sketch a function more accurately. This process identifies where the function increases or decreases, where it has local maxima and minima, and how its overall shape develops. The same ideas apply to a quadratic profit model where x is advertising spend in thousands of USD and P(x) is profit in thousands of USD.

In that example, the graph looks like a hill, or an inverted U shape. That shape is concave downward, so the profit curve bends downward throughout. At low advertising levels, more spending raises sales and profit efficiently. As spending keeps rising, the extra profit from each additional unit of advertising gets smaller, which shows diminishing returns.

If advertising becomes too high, profit can start to fall because the cost of the extra advertising is greater than the revenue it brings in. The maximum profit occurs where the first derivative is zero, because the slope of the curve becomes flat there. The second derivative is a constant negative number, which confirms that the entire profit function is concave downward.

Using Derivatives to Read a Graph

absolute and local extreme values

Finding Max and Min on Function Graphs

Absolute and local extreme values show the highest and lowest points on a function graph. Absolute maximum and absolute minimum values describe the highest and lowest values across the entire domain. Local maximum and local minimum values describe the highest and lowest values within a smaller part of the graph. Periodic functions such as sine and cosine can have extreme values at many points. Their repeating pattern creates multiple local extrema. In these cases, the derivative becomes zero...

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Finding Absolute Extrema on a Closed Interval

Absolute extrema on a closed interval are found by checking critical numbers and the endpoints. A function’s maximum and minimum values help describe its overall behavior across its domain. These values are called extrema, and they can be local or absolute. Local extrema are peaks and valleys in a limited region. Absolute extrema are the highest or lowest points on the entire interval. Critical numbers are the domain values where the derivative is zero or does not exist. According to Fermat’s...

rolle’s theorem

Rolle’s Theorem and Zero Slope Points

Rolle’s Theorem explains when a differentiable function must have a flat tangent inside an interval. It applies to a real-valued function on a closed interval, which means the endpoints are included. The function must also be continuous on the whole interval and differentiable on the open interval, where the interior points lie. The theorem uses one more key condition. The function must have the same value at both endpoints. When that happens, Rolle’s Theorem guarantees at least one point...

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first derivatives and the shape of a graph

first-derivatives-and-the-shape-of-a-graph

Using First Derivatives to Find Graph Changes

The first derivative shows how a function changes across its domain. In calculus, the derivative is written as f'(x). It tells us whether the graph is rising, falling, or turning at a given point. A function is increasing on an interval when its derivative is positive. That means the slope of the tangent line is positive. A function is decreasing on an interval when its derivative is negative. In that case, the tangent line slopes downward. These sign changes help describe the overall shape...

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Finding Turning Points with the First Derivative

The first derivative test is used to find turning points on a smooth curve. It shows where a function changes from increasing to decreasing, or from decreasing to increasing. In this example, the curve can model an asset price that falls to a low point, rebounds, and then gradually declines again. The process starts by finding the first derivative of the function. Because the function is a product of a polynomial term and an exponential term, the product rule is needed. After differentiating,...

second derivatives and the shape of a graph

second-derivatives-and-the-shape-of-a-graph

Using Second Derivatives to Read Curvature

The second derivative shows how a graph bends. It gives key information about curvature and how that curvature changes over an interval. These ideas help with graph analysis in math and in real-world settings such as road elevation, population growth, and economic trends. A function f(x) is concave upward on an interval when its graph lies above all of its tangent lines. In this case, the second derivative is positive. That means the slope of the tangent line is increasing, and the graph bends...

second derivative test: problem solving

Classifying Critical Points with the Second Derivative

The second derivative test helps classify critical points of a function. Critical points are places where the first derivative is zero or undefined. They are possible locations for local maxima and local minima, but they do not always become one or the other. The second derivative shows concavity, or whether a graph bends up or down. If f''(x) &gt; 0, the function is concave up, and the critical point is a local minimum. If f''(x) &lt; 0, the function is concave down, and the critical point is...

Derivatives help students read the graph of a function by showing where the graph rises, falls, and bends. The first derivative tells the slope of the tangent line at each point. The second derivative shows how the curve changes shape over an interval. Points where the first derivative is zero or undefined are critical points. These points are important because they may mark a local maximum, a local minimum, or no extremum at all. A local minimum appears when the first derivative changes from...

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Using Derivatives to Resolve Limit Ambiguity

Indeterminate forms appear when a limit gives an expression that cannot be read directly. Common examples are 0 divided by 0 and infinity divided by infinity. These results do not show the true behavior of the function near the point of interest, so more analysis is needed. L’Hôpital’s Rule is a useful method for handling these ambiguous limits. It applies when two differentiable functions approach 0 or infinity at the same time near the point being studied. Instead of finding the limit of the...

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guidelines for sketching a curve

Using Derivatives to Sketch Function Graphs

Sketching a function graph uses key features of the function to show its overall shape. A function plots as a curve on the coordinate plane, with the input on the horizontal axis and the output on the vertical axis. The first step is to find the domain, which is the set of input values where the function is defined. The domain shows how far the graph can extend left and right. Intercepts are also important reference points. The x-intercept is where the graph crosses the horizontal axis, and...

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Pipe Length Around a Corner

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application of differentiation to business

application-of-differentiation-to-business

Maximizing Bakery Revenue with Calculus

Calculus helps businesses make pricing decisions that can improve revenue. In this example, a bakery uses a cupcake model to find the best price and daily sales volume. The goal is to see how changes in price affect demand and total revenue. The demand function shows the link between price and how many cupcakes are sold each day. In this model, p(x) gives the price per cupcake when x cupcakes are sold. Lower prices lead to higher demand, so the function captures how sales change with price. <br...

newton’s method

Newton’s Method for Finding Roots

Newton’s Method is an iterative way to find the roots of real-valued, differentiable functions. A root is the value of x that makes a function equal to zero. This method is useful when an exact algebraic answer is hard to find. The process starts with an initial guess. Newton’s Method then uses the function value and its derivative, which is the slope of the function at that point, to build a better estimate. The next approximation is found from the recursive formula x n+1 = x n - f(x n) /...

the antiderivative of a function

Finding Original Functions with Antiderivatives

Antiderivatives help reconstruct an original function from its derivative. In calculus, an antiderivative of a function f(x) is a function F(x) whose derivative gives back f(x). This idea works like reversing differentiation to recover the starting form. Antiderivatives are not unique because differentiation removes constant terms. For that reason, the general form includes an arbitrary constant C. That constant represents unknown initial conditions when a function is rebuilt from its...

graphing antiderivatives

Antiderivative Graph Shape and Slope

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application of antiderivatives: linear motion

application-of-antiderivatives-linear-motion

Finding Car Stopping Distance with Integration

Integration connects acceleration, velocity, and displacement in linear motion. It works as the reverse of a derivative, which tells how one quantity changes with another. In physics, this makes it possible to move from a rate of change back to the motion itself. A car provides a clear example. It is moving at a steady 20 meters per second when an obstacle appears 800 meters ahead. To stop in time, the car slows with a constant acceleration. That acceleration tells how the car’s velocity...

key terms and concepts

Learn how the first and second derivatives reveal increase, decrease, local maxima, minima, concavity, and inflection points in function graphs.

Using Derivatives to Read a Graph | JoVE K12

The JoVE Core Calculus collection provides a comprehensive visual guide to the entire calculus sequence, seamlessly connecting mathematical theory to real-world applications in physics and economics. Through dynamic animated lessons, the course transitions smoothly from foundational single-variable concepts to advanced multivariable topics. Students will explore everything from standard differentiation and integration to spatial vectors, multi-dimensional derivatives, and complex vector fields. By breaking down abstract coordinate systems, infinite series, and spatial motion, this structured approach builds the robust analytical skills and advanced mastery essential for STEM success.

calculus

Using Derivatives to Read a Graph

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