Can someone explain to me what a “derivative” means? How do you find the derivative of f(x)=x^3+1?

The position of a moving particle is given by the position function: f(t)=-9t-t^2-0.2t^3+0.1t^4 0 a. at what time does the particle reverse direction? b. when is the displacement positive? (round one decimal place and answer in interval notation) c. when is the displacement negative? (round one decimal place and answer in interval notation) d. when is the particle’s acceleration positive? (round one decimal place and answer in interval notation) e. when is the particle’s acceleration negative? (round one decimal place and answer in interval notation)

Would greatly appreciate these 3 answers

The side of a square is 3 and 5/2 inches