what does differentiate mean in calculus

In calculus, differentiation is the process of finding the derivative of a function with respect to an independent variable. The derivative of a function represents how fast something is changing at an instant, or the rate of change of the function. The first derivative of a function $y=f(x)$ is denoted $\dfrac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x}$, and it is defined by the limit: $$\frac{\mathrm{d}y}{\mathrm{d}x}=\lim_{\large{h\to 0}}\left. Differentiation can be used to measure the function per unit change in the independent variable. There are several different notations for differentiation, but they all represent the same concept. The derivative can be used to find the speed of an object given its position, or the acceleration given its speed. Differentiation is a fundamental concept in calculus and is used in many fields, including physics and engineering.