Class XII · Chapter 5 · NCERT Mathematics

CHAPTER 05

Continuity and Differentiability

Smoothness, Formally Defined

The bridge between limits and the powerful derivative rules used throughout the rest of the syllabus.

\(\tfrac{d}{dx}f(g(x)) = f'(g(x))\cdot g'(x)\)
12 CBSE Marks
Difficulty
9 Topics
Very High JEE Weight

Topics Covered

9 key topics in this chapter

Continuity at a Point & on an Interval
Algebra of Continuous Functions
Differentiability
Chain Rule
Derivatives of Implicit Functions
Exponential & Logarithmic Function Derivatives
Logarithmic Differentiation
Derivatives in Parametric Form
Second Order Derivative

Study Resources

𝑓 Key Formulae

Essential mathematical expressions for this chapter — understand derivations, not just results.

Continuity at a Point
\[\lim_{x\to a}f(x) = f(a)\]
📌 Left limit = right limit = function value
Chain Rule
\[\tfrac{d}{dx}f(g(x)) = f'(g(x))\cdot g'(x)\]
📌 Differentiate outer, then inner
Exponential Derivative
\[\tfrac{d}{dx}e^{x} = e^{x},\quad \tfrac{d}{dx}a^{x}=a^{x}\ln a\]
📌 Base e is its own derivative
Logarithmic Differentiation
\[\ln y = v\ln u \implies \tfrac{y'}{y} = v'\ln u + \tfrac{v u'}{u}\]
📌 Use for uᵛ-type expressions
Parametric Derivative
\[\tfrac{dy}{dx} = \tfrac{dy/dt}{dx/dt}\]
📌 When x and y are both functions of t

🎯 Exam-Ready Insights

Important points to remember — curated from CBSE Board question patterns.

01

CBSE checks continuity of piecewise functions at the junction point — always compute LHL, RHL, and f(a) separately and compare.

02

Logarithmic differentiation is the only method for differentiating functions of the form [f(x)]^g(x) — take log of both sides first.

03

Differentiability implies continuity, but continuity does NOT imply differentiability — |x| at x = 0 is the classic counterexample.

04

Second-order derivatives (d²y/dx²) for parametric and implicit functions are a common 5-mark question.

🏆 Competitive Exam Strategy

Targeted tips for JEE Main, JEE Advanced, NEET, BITSAT, and CBSE Boards.

JEE Main

Differentiability at a corner point is tested through LHD ≠ RHD; compute both derivatives from first principles when in doubt.

JEE Advanced

Composite chain-rule problems with three or more nested functions are common — differentiate layer by layer, do not rush.

NEET

Basic exponential and logarithmic derivative rules appear in physics-adjacent problems — keep them automatic.

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

Checking only one-sided continuity instead of both LHL and RHL.

Forgetting to apply the chain rule when differentiating a composite function.

Applying normal differentiation rules to uᵛ expressions instead of logarithmic differentiation.

💡 Key Takeaways

Continuity requires the limit to exist AND equal the function value at that point.

Every differentiable function is continuous, but the converse is false.

The chain rule is the single most-used differentiation tool in this chapter.

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