MH1100/MTH112: Calculus I.

Problem list for Week #2.

Tutorial in the week beginning 26th of August.

This weeks topics:

Some motivations for limits: tangents and velocities. (Section 1.4).
The basic concept of a limit. (Section 1.5).
Using the limit laws to determine limits. (Section 1.6).
Your tutor will aim to discuss: Problems 4, 7, 14, 16, 19, 22?, 23?, 24?, and
other problems.
Problems that I think are more unusual or difficult than normal are marked
with a ?.

Problem 1:
x
The point P 1, 12 lies on the the graph of the function f (x) = 1+x
.

x
(a) If Q is the point x, 1+x
, use your calculator to find the slope of the
secant line P Q for the following values of x:

(i)
(iii)
(v)
(vii)

0.5
0.99
1.5
1.01

(ii)
(iv)
(vi)
(viii)

0.9
0.999
1.1
1.001

(b) Using the results of part (a), guess the value of the slope of the tangent
line to the curve at P 1, 12 .
(c) Using the slope from part (b), find an equation of the tangent line to
the curve at P 1, 12 .

Problem 2: (Problem 1.4.5 in [Stewart].)

If a ball is thrown into the air with a velocity of 10m/s, its height in metres
t seconds later is given by H(t) = 10t 4.9t2 .
(a) Find the average velocity for the time beginning when t = 1.5 and
lasting
(i)
(iii)

0.5 seconds
0.05 seconds

(ii)
(iv)

0.1 seconds
0.01 seconds.

(b) Estimate the instantaneous velocity when t = 1.5.

Problem 3: (Problem 1.5.6 in [Stewart].)

Consider a function h(x) with the following graph.

State the value of the following quantity, if it exists. If it does not exist,
explain why.
(a)
(d)
(g)
(j)

limx! 3 h(x)
h( 3)
limx!0 h(x)
h(2)

(b)
(e)
(h)
(k)

limx! 3+ h(x)
limx!0 h(x)
h(0)
limx!5+ h(x)

(c)
(f )
(i)
(l)

limx! 3 h(x)
limx!0+ h(x)
limx!2 h(x)
limx!5 h(x)

Problem 4: (Problem 1.5.16 in [Stewart])

Give an example of a function f satisfying the following conditions:
limx!0 f (x) = 1
limx!0+ f (x) =

limx!2 f (x) = 0
limx!2+ f (x) = 1
f (2) = 1
f (0) is undefined.
Problem 5: (Problem 1.5.19 in [Stewart])
Guess the value of the limit
lim

x!2

x2
x2

2x
x

by evaluating the function at the points

x = 2.5, 2.1, 2.05, 2.01, 2.005, 2.001, 1.9, 1.95, 1.99, 1.995, 1.999.

Problem 6: (Problem 1.6.2 in [Stewart])

Consider 2 functions f and g, with the following graphs:

Use these graphs to evaluate the following limits. If the limit does not exist,
explain why.
(a) limx!2 [f (x) + g(x)]

(b) limx!1 [f (x) + g(x)]

(c) limx!0 [f (x)g(x)]

(d) limx!

(e) limx!2 [x3 f (x)]

(f ) limx!1

f (x)
1 g(x)

3 + f (x).

Problem 7:
Use the limit laws to evaluate the limit

3
1 + 3x
lim
,
x!1 1 + 4x2 + 3x4
carefully justifying each step.

Problem 8: (1.6.10 in [Stewart])

(a) What is wrong with the following equation?
x2 + x 6
=x+3
x 2
(b) Given your answer to (a), explain why the following equation is correct.
x2 + x 6
= lim (x + 3).
x!2
x!2
x 2
lim

Problem 9: (1.6.15 from [Stewart])

Evaluate the following limit, if it exists:
lim

t! 3

t2 9
.
2t2 + 7t + 3

Problem 10:
Evaluate the following limit, if it exists:
p
1+h
lim
h!0
h

Problem 11:
Evaluate the following limit, if it exists:
p
x+2 3
lim
.
x!7
x 7

Problem 12: (1.6.23 from [Stewart])

Evaluate the following limit, if it exists:
lim

x! 4

1
4

+ x1
.
4+x

Problem 13:
Evaluate the following limit, if it exists:
x2 81
lim p
.
x!9
x 3

Problem 14: (1.6.29 from [Stewart])

Evaluate the following limit, if it exists:

1
lim p
t!0 t 1 + t

1
t

Problem 15: (1.6.36 from [Stewart])

Use the squeeze theorem to show that
p

lim x3 + x2 sin = 0.
x!0
x

Problem 16: (1.6.40 from [Stewart])

Prove that
lim

x!0+

x 1 + sin

2
x

= 0.

Problem 17: (1.6.41 from [Stewart])

Does the limit following limit exist? If so, determine the limit. If not,
explain why not.
lim (2x + |x 3|) .
x!3

Problem 18: (1.6.45 and 1.6.46 from [Stewart])

Do the following limits exist? If so, determine the limits.

1
(i) limx!0 x1 |x|
(ii) limx!0+

1
x

1
|x|

Problem 19:
Consider the function
F (x) =
(i) Find limx!1+ F (x).

x2
|x

1
.
1|

(ii) Find limx!1 F (x).

(iii) Does limx!1 F (x) exist?
(iv) Sketch the graph of F (x).
Problem 20: (1.6.55 from [Stewart])
If p(x) is a polynomial, show that limx!a p(x) = p(a).
Problem 21: (1.6.56 from [Stewart])
If r(x) is a rational function (recall that this means that r(x) = p(x)
q(x) for
some polynomials p(x) and q(x)), show that limx!a r(x) = r(a) for every
number in the domain of r(x).
(?) Problem 22: (1.6.57 from [Stewart])
If limx!1
carefully.

f (x) 8
x 1

= 10, then what is limx!1 f (x)? Explain your deduction

(?) Problem 23: (1.6.59 from [Stewart])

Consider the function
f (x) =

x2
0

if x is rational
.
if x is irrational

Prove that limx!0 f (x) = 0.

(?) Problem 24: (1.6.61 from [Stewart])
Find an example to illustrate the fact that it is possible for limx!a (f (x)g(x))
to exist even though neither limx!a f (x) nor limx!a g(x) exists.