High School

Find the derivative of the function [tex]f(x) = 9x^3 - x^2 + 6x - 7[/tex]. What is [tex]f'(x)[/tex]?

A) [tex]27x^2 - 2x + 6[/tex]
B) [tex]27x^2 - 2x + 7[/tex]
C) [tex]27x^2 - 2x - 6[/tex]
D) [tex]27x^2 - 2x - 7[/tex]

Answer :

Final answer:

The derivative of the function f(x) = 9x^3 - x^2 + 6x - 7 is f'(x) = 27x^2 - 2x + 6, corresponding to option A).

Explanation:

To find the derivative of f(x), we apply the power rule and sum rule of differentiation. The power rule states that the derivative of x^n with respect to x is nx^(n-1). Applying this rule to each term of f(x), we obtain f'(x) = 27x^2 - 2x + 6.

For example, the derivative of 9x^3 is 27x^2, the derivative of -x^2 is -2x, and the derivative of 6x is 6. The derivative of a constant term, such as -7, is zero.

Therefore, the derivative of the function f(x) = 9x^3 - x^2 + 6x - 7 with respect to x is f'(x) = 27x^2 - 2x + 6, corresponding to option A). This result represents the rate of change of the function f(x) at any given point x and provides valuable information about its behavior and slope at that point.

So, the correct answer is A) 27x^2-2x+6