Derivatives Resources

This link gives a quick review of most of the important concepts in the derivatives chapter. Sort of like “Derivatives in a Nutshell,” but much cooler. (Less cool than Shmoop, though. Less cool than Shmoop.)

Sometimes, the easiest way to understand an idea is to understand what it isn't. For example, a purple elephant is not a rhinoceros. Bam. Understood. Check out this list of functions that are non-differentiable for different reasons.

This is an explanation of Rolle’s Theorem, the Mean Value Theorem, and how they are related. (Rolle's Theorem used to be married to the Mean Value Theorem's half-aunt's brother-in-law, but that was a long time ago.) You’ll feel like an expert in no time.

This YouTube video gives you a simple, brief explanation of the derivative of a function. You can learn what a derivative is in the time it takes you to pop a bag of popcorn, unless you're like us and ruin three of them before you figure out the "popcorn" button on your microwave.

“At first I was afraid…I was petrified.” If you’re feeling a little scared from this whole derivative thing, take a break to laugh along with this video.

You thought fighting with your sister over the extra roll at the dinner table was bad enough; Newton and Leibniz fought over the invention of calculus. Here’s a video that clarifies this controversy.

This is a good video that explains tangent line approximations at a point. Pay close attention, since this idea is used over and over and over again. It’s the broken record of applied calculus.

Now that we’ve spent an entire chapter showing you how to find derivatives the hard way, here’s a simple calculator to check your work. Just don’t tell your teacher we showed you this link.

This link shows you how a difference quotient becomes a derivative. It comes complete with an interactive applet you can play with to occupy yourself for hours. Hours, we say!

This link explains and helps you visualize the mean value theorem. With this, the theorem will look less like an angry tiger and more like a cute kitten. Or, you know, a cat that barks like a dog.