Chain Rule Worksheet with Answers and Worked Solutions
Twenty-four composition problems from basic powers through nested, product, and quotient combinations.
What is included
Build chain-rule fluency with a printable worksheet, complete key, error analysis, and worked HTML solutions.
Skills assessed
- composition structure
- nested chain rule
- product plus chain
- quotient plus chain
Prerequisites
- basic derivative rules
- function composition
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Printable preview
- Differentiate .
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Complete worked solutions
Every problem has a source-matched answer and independently reviewed derivation.
Problem 1: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Basic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Use the power rule on the outer power .
- Multiply by the inner derivative .
Problem 2: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Basic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Use the power rule on the outer power .
- Multiply by the inner derivative .
Problem 3: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Basic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Use the power rule on the outer power .
- Multiply by the inner derivative .
Problem 4: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Basic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Use the power rule on the outer power .
- Multiply by the inner derivative .
Problem 5: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Basic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Use the power rule on the outer power .
- Multiply by the inner derivative .
Problem 6: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Basic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Use the power rule on the outer power .
- Multiply by the inner derivative .
Problem 7: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Exponential or logarithmic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Treat as the inner function.
- Differentiate the outer function and multiply by .
Problem 8: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Exponential or logarithmic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Treat as the inner function.
- Differentiate the outer function and multiply by .
Problem 9: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Exponential or logarithmic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Treat as the inner function.
- Differentiate the outer function and multiply by .
Problem 10: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Exponential or logarithmic chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Treat as the inner function.
- Differentiate the outer function and multiply by .
Problem 11: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Trigonometric chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Identify the outer trigonometric function and preserve its inner input.
- Differentiate the inner expression and multiply.
Problem 12: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Trigonometric chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Identify the outer trigonometric function and preserve its inner input.
- Differentiate the inner expression and multiply.
Problem 13: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Trigonometric chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Identify the outer trigonometric function and preserve its inner input.
- Differentiate the inner expression and multiply.
Problem 14: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Trigonometric chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Identify the outer trigonometric function and preserve its inner input.
- Differentiate the inner expression and multiply.
Problem 15: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Nested chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Write the composition as nested layers from outside to inside.
- Differentiate each layer once and multiply the factors.
Problem 16: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Nested chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Write the composition as nested layers from outside to inside.
- Differentiate each layer once and multiply the factors.
Problem 17: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: Nested chain rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Write the composition as nested layers from outside to inside.
- Differentiate each layer once and multiply the factors.
Problem 18: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: product plus chain matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the product plus chain structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Problem 19: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: product plus chain matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the product plus chain structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Problem 20: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: quotient plus chain matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the quotient plus chain structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Problem 21: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: quotient rule matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the quotient rule structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Problem 22: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: product plus chain matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the product plus chain structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Problem 23: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: quotient plus chain matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the quotient plus chain structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Problem 24: Differentiate .
Answer:
Why this method: nested chain matches the mathematical structure before any algebraic cleanup.
- Apply the nested chain structure before simplifying.
- Retain every factor contributed by an inner derivative.
- A factored final form is .
Common errors
- Forgetting an inner derivative.
- Applying the chain rule to a sum or product as a single composition.
- Simplifying before the rule structure is secure.