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📐 Mathematics  ·  Continuity and Differentiability  ·  JEE

If x = a cos(t) and y = a sin(t), find dy/dx.

Answer: -cot(t).

  • A tan(t)
  • B -tan(t)
  • C -cot(t)
  • D cot(t)

Correct answer: C. -cot(t)

Explanation: dx/dt = -a sin(t), dy/dt = a cos(t). dy/dx = (a cos t)/(-a sin t) = -cot(t).

f(x) = |x|: Continuous but NOT Differentiable at 0x=0 (sharp "kink")LHD = -1RHD = +1LHD ≠ RHD at the kink → not differentiable, even though the curve has no gap (continuous)

f(x)=|x| is perfectly continuous at x=0 (no break, no jump), but the curve has a sharp corner there: approaching from the left gives slope -1 and from the right gives slope +1 - since these one-sided derivatives disagree, the function is not differentiable at that point.

Concept context

When a function has no breaks (continuity) and when it has a well-defined slope (differentiability), plus rules for differentiating implicit, inverse trig, exponential, log, and parametric functions.

Read the full Continuity and Differentiability notes →