5

7.5 Introduction to Separation of Variables

AP Calculus AB

Introduction to Separation of Variables

What is a separable DE?

The separation process

Step-by-step method

Example 1 — Basic separation

Example 2 — Separating a sum

Example 3 — Requires algebraic manipulation

Which DEs are NOT separable?

Key algebraic moves for separation

Common integration results after separation

Warning about dividing by zero

AP exam tips

Vocabulary