Practice for Exam 1

1. Use algebra to evaluate the limit exactly.

(x + 6 + h)2 − (x + 6)2
lim
h→0 h

2. Use the graph of f(x) to answer the questions below.

a. What is the sign of f (1)?

b. What is the sign of f ′(1)?

c. What is the sign of f ′′(1)?

d. Is f (x) increasing or decreasing?

e. Is f ′(x) increasing or decreasing?

Practice for Exam 1 2

3. Use the graph of w(x) to rank the values below from smallest to largest.

I The rate of change at x = 6

II The average rate of change over 3 ≤ x ≤ 10
III The slope of w(x) at x = 0.5
IV w ′(x) at x = 7

4. The height, in feet, of a ball thrown in the air after t seconds is given by s(t) = –16t2 + 72t.

a. When does the ball hit the ground?

b. What is the velocity when t = 4.5?

c. What is the acceleration when the ball hits the ground?

Practice for Exam 1 3

5. Suppose that we know the following about a function f and a function g.

f (1) = 2.5, f ′(1) = −3, f ′′(1) = 4, and let g(x) = 5 f (x)− x 3

a. Compute g ′(1).

b. Compute g ′′(1).

c. Which of the following is/are true about g(x) at x = 1? Select all that apply.
g(x) is
q increasing
q decreasing
q concave up
q concave down

6. Use the graph of a derivative, f ′(1), and the indicated letters A, B, C, D, and E to answer
the questions below. Pay close attention to the function in each question.

a. Over what open interval(s) is f ′(x) concave up?

b. Over what open interval(s) is f ′′(x) positive?

c. Where is f ′′(x) greatest?

d. Over what open interval(s) is f (x) concave up?

e. Where does f (x) have a horizontal tangent line?

Practice for Exam 1 4

7. The graph of f ′ (not f) is given in the figure. At which of the marked values of x are the
following true? Note: The graph is of the derivative of f, not of f itself.

a. f (x) is greatest. c. f ′(x) is greatest. e. f ′′(x) is greatest.

b. f (x) is least. d. f ′(x) is least. f. f ′′(x) is least.

8. Let H(t) be the cost of heating a building in dollars per hour when the outside
temperature is t degrees.

a. What are the units of H ′(t)?

b. What does the statement H ′(32) = –3.60 tell us?

c. If we know that H(32) = 14 and H ′(32) = –3.60, find the equation of the tangent
line to H(t) at t = 32.

d. Use your tangent line to estimate the cost of heating a building in dollars per hour
when the outside temperature is 34 degrees. Give an exact answer from your
tangent line.

e. If H ′′(t) < 0, would your answer in part (d) be an underestimate or overestimate?

Explain how you know.
Practice for Exam 1 5

9. Find each of the following. In some cases, you may need to rewrite the function first.

a. f ′(x) for f (x) = ax 9 + cx 2 + b

dy 10
b. for y = t + 6 π
dt

−6
c. g ′(x) for g(x) =
5x 7

10. Consider the piecewise defined function shown below.

⎧ 2
g(x) = ⎨ 8x + 9 x ≤ 1
⎩ −2x +19 x > 1

a. Is g continuous at x = 1? Explain how you know.

b. Is g differentiable at x = 1? Explain how you know.

Practice for Exam 1 6

11. At time t in seconds, an object’s distance from a point is given by s(t) = t 2 + 5 centimeters.

a. Find the average of the object between t = 2 and t = 4 seconds. Give an exact
answer and include units.

b. Use a difference quotient with h = 0.01 to estimate s′(3). Give your final answer to
three decimal places.

12. Sketch a possible graph of a continuous function f(x) with the following properties:
• f (4) = 5, f (6) = 2
• f ′(4) = 0
• f ′ is positive for x < 4, but negative for x > 4
• f ′′ is negative for x < 6, but positive for x > 6
Label all critical points, maxima, minima, inflection points, and asymptotes.