Calculus 2 : Finding Limits and One-Sided Limits

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for Calculus 2

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Example Questions

Example Question #51 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 2} \frac{x^2-4x+4}{x-2}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle 2\)

The limit does not exist.

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 0\)

Explanation:

Before we evaluate, lets factor the numerator.

\(\displaystyle \\ \lim_{x\rightarrow 2} \frac{x^2-4x+4}{x-2} \\ \\ =\lim_{x\rightarrow 2} \frac{(x-2)(x-2)}{x-2}\)

Now lets simplify the expression to

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 2} x-2\).

Now we can evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \\ \lim_{x\rightarrow 2} x-2 \\ \\ =2-2 \\=0\)

 

 

Example Question #51 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow \pi} \frac{\cos(x)+1}{\sin(x)}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

The limit does not exist.

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

\(\displaystyle 1\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 0\)

Explanation:

If we evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow \pi} \frac{\cos(x)+1}{\sin(x)}\)

We get

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow \pi} \frac{\cos(x)+1}{\sin(x)}=\frac{0}{0}\)

So we can use L'Hopital's Rule,

L'Hopital's Rule is as follows.

If  

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{0}{0}\) 

or

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{\pm\infty}{\pm\infty}\)

where a is a real number, then the following is true.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f'(x)}{g'(x)}\)

Now lets apply this to our problem.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow \pi} \frac{\cos(x)+1}{\sin(x)}\)

\(\displaystyle =\lim_{x\rightarrow \pi} \frac{-\sin(x)}{\cos(x)}\)

\(\displaystyle =\frac{-\sin(\pi)}{\cos(\pi)}\)

\(\displaystyle =-\frac{0}{1}=0\)

Example Question #51 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 1} \frac{x^3-1}{\ln(x)}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

The limit does not exist.

\(\displaystyle 3\)

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 3\)

Explanation:

If we evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 1} \frac{x^3-1}{\ln(x)}\)

We get

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 1} \frac{x^3-1}{\ln(x)}=\frac{0}{0}\)

So we can use L'Hopital's Rule,

L'Hopital's Rule is as follows.

If  

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{0}{0}\) 

or

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{\pm\infty}{\pm\infty}\)

where a is a real number, then the following is true.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f'(x)}{g'(x)}\)

Now lets apply this to our problem.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 1} \frac{x^3-1}{\ln(x)}\)

\(\displaystyle =\lim_{x\rightarrow 1} \frac{3x^2}{\frac{1}{x}}\)

\(\displaystyle =\lim_{x\rightarrow 1} 3x^3\)

Now we can evaluate the expression to get.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 1} 3x^3 =3(1)^3=3\)

Example Question #51 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{\ln(x+1)}{\sin(x)}\)

 

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

The limit does not exist.

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

Explanation:

If we evaluate:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{\ln(x+1)}{\sin(x)}\)

We get

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{\ln(x+1)}{\sin(x)}=\frac{0}{0}\)

So we can use L'Hopital's Rule,

L'Hopital's Rule is as follows.

If  

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{0}{0}\) 

or

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\frac{\pm\infty}{\pm\infty}\)

where a is a real number, then the following is true.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f(x)}{g(x)}=\lim_{x\rightarrow a} \frac{f'(x)}{g'(x)}\).

Now lets apply this to our problem.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{\log(x+1)}{\sin(x)}\)

\(\displaystyle =\lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{\frac{1}{x+1}}{\cos(x)}\)

\(\displaystyle =\lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{1}{(x+1)\cos(x)}\)

If we plug in 0 we get,

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{1}{(x+1)\cos(x)}\)

\(\displaystyle =\lim_{x\rightarrow 0} \frac{1}{(0+1)\cos(0)}=\frac{1}{1}=1\)

Example Question #54 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Evaluate the following limit:

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 3^{-}}f(x), f(x)=\left\{\begin{matrix} \ln(3-x), x\leq 3\\ x, x> 3 \end{matrix}\right.\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 3\)

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

\(\displaystyle 0\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

Explanation:

To evaluate the limit, we first must determine if we are approaching \(\displaystyle 3\) from the right or left. We are approaching from the left (numbers barely less than 3), and our piecewise function indicates that for numbers less than or equal to three, our function is \(\displaystyle \ln(3-x)\).

This function as it approaches zero reaches \(\displaystyle -\infty\).

Example Question #55 : Finding Limits And One Sided Limits

Limit a 7.17

Given the above graph of \(\displaystyle f(x)\), what is \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0^{+}}f(x)\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

\(\displaystyle -1\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

Explanation:

Examining the graph, we want to find where the graph tends to as it approaches zero from the right hand side. We can see that there appears to be a vertical asymptote at zero. As the x values approach zero from the right the function values of the graph tend towards negative infinity.

Therefore, we can observe that \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0^{+}}f(x)=\infty\) as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches \(\displaystyle 0\)  from the right.

Example Question #100 : Limits

Limit b 7.17

Given the above graph of \(\displaystyle f(x)\), what is \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0}f(x)\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle 1\)

\(\displaystyle -1\)

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle 0\)

Explanation:

Examining the graph above, we need to look at three things:

1) What is the limit of the function as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches zero from the left?

2) What is the limit of the function as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches zero from the right?

3) What is the function value as \(\displaystyle x=0\) and is it the same as the result from statement one and two?

Therefore, we can observe that \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 0}f(x)=0\) as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches \(\displaystyle 0\)  from either side.

Example Question #101 : Limits

Limit c 7.17

Given the above graph of \(\displaystyle f(x)\), what is \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 3}f(x)\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 1\)

Does not exist

\(\displaystyle \infty\)

\(\displaystyle -1\)

\(\displaystyle -\infty\)

Correct answer:

Does not exist

Explanation:

Examining the graph above, we need to look at three things:

1) What is the limit of the function as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches three from the left?

2) What is the limit of the function as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches three from the right?

3) What is the function value as \(\displaystyle x=3\) and is it the same as the result from statement one and two?

Therefore, we can observe that \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 3}f(x)\)  does not exist, as \(\displaystyle f(x)\) approaches two different limits as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches \(\displaystyle 3\): \(\displaystyle \infty\)  from the left and \(\displaystyle -\infty\) from the right.

Example Question #101 : Calculus Ii

Evalute the following limit.

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} \frac{\sqrt[4]{x} - 1}{\sqrt{x} - 1}\)

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 2\)

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\)

The limit does not exist.

\(\displaystyle \frac{4}{3}\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\)

Explanation:

Note that if you plug in \(\displaystyle x = 1\) to the original limit, you get \(\displaystyle \frac{0}{0}\) as your answer. This shows that you need to use L'Hopital's rule and take the derivative of both the top and the bottom of the limit and then attempt to retry finding the limit.

The derivative of the top side becomes \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{4} x^{-\frac{3}{4}}\) and the derivative of the bottom side becomes \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2} x^{-\frac{1}{2}}\) (the 1's go away because they are constants) and so you can rewrite the problem as so: 

\(\displaystyle \lim_{x \rightarrow 1} \frac{\frac{1}{4} x^{-\frac{3}{4}}}{\frac{1}{2} x^{-\frac{1}{2}}}\).

Note that 1 raised to any power is just 1, so the limit becomes 

\(\displaystyle \frac{\frac{1}{4}}{\frac{1}{2}}\) which is \(\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}\)

Example Question #102 : Limits

Screen shot 2015 07 20 at 10.06.05 am

Given the above graph of \(\displaystyle f(x)\), what is \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 2}f(x)\)?

Possible Answers:

\(\displaystyle 0\)

\(\displaystyle -8\)

\(\displaystyle 6\)

\(\displaystyle -6\)

\(\displaystyle -10\)

Correct answer:

\(\displaystyle -6\)

Explanation:

Examining the graph above, we need to look at three things:

1) What is the limit of the function as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches two from the left?

2) What is the limit of the function as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches two from the right?

3) What is the function value as \(\displaystyle x=2\) and is it the same as the result from statement one and two?

Therefore, we can observe that \(\displaystyle \lim_{x\rightarrow 2}f(x)=-6\) as \(\displaystyle x\) approaches \(\displaystyle 2\) from the left and from the right.

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