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Difference Rule

Definition

The difference rule is a derivative rule that allows us to find the derivative of a function by subtracting the derivatives of its individual terms.

Analogy

Think of the difference rule as taking apart a sandwich. Just like you can separate the different ingredients in a sandwich and analyze them individually, the difference rule allows us to break down a function into its component parts and find their derivatives separately.

Related terms

Constant Multiple Rule: The constant multiple rule states that when we take the derivative of a constant multiplied by a function, we can simply multiply the constant by the derivative of the function.

Chain Rule: The chain rule is used to find the derivative of composite functions. It tells us how to differentiate functions within other functions.

Power Rule: The power rule is used to find the derivative of functions raised to a power. It states that if we have a function raised to an exponent, we can bring down that exponent as a coefficient and decrease it by 1.