# Math Help - Help needed deriving

1. ## Help needed deriving

Hi there- would appreciate some pointer on deriving this function, if someone would be so kind. Thank you!

g(x) = [16+x-8squareroot(x)]/[(squareroot(x)-4)]

2. You want to use the quotient rule: $f'\left(\frac{u(x)}{v(x)}\right)=\frac{v(x)u'(x)-v'(x)u(x)}{v(x)^2}$

Here $u'(x)=1-8x^{-\frac{1}{2}}$ and $v'(x)=x^{-\frac{1}{2}}$

3. ...deriving this equation...
Just a note, the term you are looking for is differentiating. Deriving would mean that you took some other equation and manipulated it into the current one.

4. Got it, thank you. I don't need the final answer, but with that method, I get a long string of terms. If that's normal, I'll keep going, though whenever that happens, I also feel like I screwed up.

5. Originally Posted by rhunt
Got it, thank you. I don't need the final answer, but with that method, I get a long string of terms. If that's normal, I'll keep going, though whenever that happens, I also feel like I screwed up.
That is kind of vague. Derivatives of rational functions can tend to get really messy, though they usually simplify. Try wolframalpha.com to see if your answer is correct.