CBSE Class 11-science Answered

The process of finding the derivative of a function with respect to the variable on which it depends is called differentiation.Derivative of a function describes how the value of a function change with any change in the variable.

Consider that y is a function of the variable x .i.e. y=f(x). The value of function y depends on the value of variable x.Hence we can say that derivative of the function is the rate of change of dependent variable y with respect to the change in independent variable x

Eg: Acceleration of a body is the rate of change of velocity of the body.i.e derivative of velocity with respect to time.

Whereas differential calculus is one of the two branches of calculus which deals with derivatives , differential equations and other various applications of differentiation as a whole.