Step-by-step Error Analysis Section 1.

8: The Derivative as a Rate of Change

1) Identify each error, step-by-step, that is made in the following attempt to solve the problem. Do
not just say the final answer is wrong. Go step by step from the beginning. Describe what was
done incorrectly (if anything) from one step to the next. Explain what the student did incorrectly
and what should have been done instead; not just that an error was made. After an error has
been made, the next step should be judged based on what is written in the previous step (not on
what should have been written). Some steps may not have an error.

2) After you complete part 1, do a "peer review" of two other students' responses. Confirm the
errors the other students identified correctly, add any errors the students did not identify, and
identify any errors the students listed that you disagree with.

The Problem: The total cost in thousands of dollars of producing x units of a certain commodity is

10
( ) =
3+50

Use marginal cost to approximate the cost of producing the 6th unit.

A partially incorrect attempt to solve the problem is below

Steps to analyze:

1) () = 10(3 + 50)2

a. So for this first step, the rewriting of C(x) is incorrect, as you

cant rewrite a square root by bringing it up to the main line and

putting it to the -2 power. Instead, the constant, 10, should have been

taken out first, and should have been written as follows:

1
i. 10 ( )
3+50

2) () = 20(3 + 50)3
 a. Since rewriting C(x) was wrong, the applications of the exponent rule and chain rule

are both incorrect as well. Instead, the exponent rule should have been applied by

rewriting the square root of -3x+50 to the -1/2 power, as follows:

1

i. 10 ((3 + 50)2 )

b. Then, one should apply the chain rule by having u = -3x+50 and f = u-1/2
1

i. 10 (2 ) (3 + 50)

1

ii. (2 ) (3 + 50)

iii. (3 + 50) = 3

1
iv. 10( 3 )(3)
22

c. After that, u=-3x+50 should be substituted back into the equation, as follows:
1
i. 10( 3 )(3)
2(3+50)2

20
=
( )
3) (3+50)3

a. For this step, the equation was improperly simplified. As based on the previous

derivations, the equation C(x) should be simplified as follows:

15
i. () = (3+50)3/2

4) (6) = 0.0006

a. This step was done correctly in terms of evaluating C(6) for the

equation, but it is still incorrect in terms of the grand scheme of the

problem because C(x) was not properly derived. Instead, C(6) should be

evaluated as follows:
15 15
i. (6) = = 306.91 = $0.0489
(3(6)+50))3/2
5) The cost of producing the 6th unit is $0.0006

a. This step is correct in that it accurately states the approximate cost of producing the

6th unit based on marginal cost, but the answer is incorrect due to previous incorrect

derivations. Thus. the answer should be as follows:

i. The cost of producing the 6th unit is $0.0489.