The power rule is a fundamental technique used in differentiation, particularly useful when dealing with polynomials. When differentiating a term like \(x^n\), the power rule tells us to bring the exponent down as a coefficient and then subtract one from the exponent. For instance, in our exercise, we have the term \(x^2\). Applying the power rule,
- Bring down the exponent: 2.
- Subtract one from the exponent: \(2 - 1 = 1\).
This results in the derivative \(2x\) for the term \(x^2\).
Utilizing the power rule simplifies the process of finding derivatives and is especially handy when working with multiple terms in an expression.