Differentiate $y = 3x^4 - 2x^2 + 5$ with respect to $x$.
A$12x^3 - 2x$
B$3x^3 - 4x$
C$12x^3 - 4x$CORRECT
D$12x^3 - 4x + 5$
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Why the answer is C, and why the others tempt you.
Differentiate term by term using $\dfrac{d}{dx}(x^n) = nx^{n-1}$: $3 \times 4x^3 = 12x^3$, $-2 \times 2x = -4x$, and the derivative of the constant 5 is zero. Keeping the $+5$ in the derivative is the most common slip.
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